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The Neighborhood Nip Foundation is making historic strides with the L.A. Marathon.
On Friday, March 13, The Breakfast Club's Loren LoRosa reported that the charity partnership between the late Nipsey Hussle's foundation and the annual running event is proving to be the best collaborative effort they've ever had. Within the past year, the Neighborhood Nip Foundation helped raise $50,000, which brings their total amount to over $170,000 since they began working together three years ago. The non-profit also brought out 100 participants to this year's run, with more than half of them being first-time runners.
The Los Angeles Marathon told LoRosa that the numbers are stunning in comparison to their other partnerships. Most organizations that partner with the L.A. Marathon are usually still growing in year three and usually bring in about five to 10 runners annually. Their 129 partners have raised an average of $20,000 this year. With 100 runners and over $50,000 raised within a year, Nip's foundation is putting up a lot more numbers on the board than anyone else.
Nipsey's foundation helped cover the costs of coaches Joseph and Jennifer Shane, who trained the marathon runners via their company TeamWRK. Participants were trained weekly with Jorge “JP” Peniche, who spearheads the Marathon Run Club. The run club, which was launched last April, helped all of this year's 100 runners to reach the finish line.
The foundation's accomplishments with the L.A. Marathon were reported a few weeks after the late Victory Lap rapper was honored by the City of Los Angeles. The intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue was renamed Nipsey Hussle Square at the end of February to commemorate the rapper's legacy. The plaza near the intersection is where Nipsey Hussle took his last breath after he was fatally shot in front of his clothing store, The Marathon, in 2019.