Always All-in

Vinny Carrano is mildly passionate about what he does, and it shows. Photo: Bryan Karl Lathrop

Vinny Carrano is a familiar face in Philadelphia’s fitness circles. If you live in Philly and work out with any regularity you’ve probably seen this 35 year old Pottsville, PA native leading group workouts for November Project;  conducting high-intensity interval training at rock climbing gym, The Cliffs at Callowhill; boisterously cheering on his teammates to help them conquer that brutal, uphill final quarter mile of the Philly Marathon (and Half..); or, more recently, personal training at F45 Training Center. Regardless of the venue, Carrano always brings high energy and good vibes.

Carrano knew early on that he wanted to join the military and enrolled in the Marine Corps just eight days after graduating high school. He had two deployments during his four years with the Marine Corps infantry —one in the Mediterranean, the other in Afghanistan. But Carrano doesn’t convey the stereotypical hardass vibe attributed to so many combat veterans—with the exception of the challenges he puts his body through. 

I always like to go all in with stuff. When I find things that I’m passionate about, I lean into them and really give it my heart. I think that sometimes we need to look around and find our passion; follow your heart. When I got out of the Marine Corps, I promised myself that whatever I did, whether as a hobby or a career, I’d do it with passion. And so far I’ve held that promise to myself.”

Following his military service, Carrano earned a degree in criminology at Penn State, taking advantage of the GI Bill. He then ventured into fundraising, working as a campaign manager for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the connection there being the loss of his older sister when he was seven. 

In 1994, my sister Lauren was diagnosed with leukemia. She battled for two years and passed away in 1996. She was nine when she passed away; her death may have planted the seed to do good. My family, we fundraised a lot of money. We had our local Relay for Life that we got really involved with. We were the top fundraising team every year because we were the local family, we were kind of well-known just for my sister’s journey in that area.” 

His fundraising also branched out into organizing events like Big Climb Philly—which is kind of the sprint version of the PHL24, running as fast as you can from the bottom floor to the top Comcast tower in one shot. Eventually Carrano started exploring personal training which led him to November Project, whose “we’re weatherproof” workout mindset he vibed with immediately—so much so that he became co-leader of their Philadelphia Chapter for five years. He recently stepped down from that position to work full time as a personal trainer at F45 Training Center. 

Carrano cheers his crew up the grueling last half uphill mile to the finish line. Photo: Bryan Karl Lathrop

In March 2024, Carrano will run the Philadelphia Love Run Half Marathon as a Legacy of Hope sponsored athlete. His love for running emerged during his Marine Corps days, leading to participation in marathons and trail races. His experiences as a sweeper in the Marine Corps Marathon gave him a unique perspective on the dedication of both front and back-of-the-pack runners.

Carrano’s interests extend beyond running, as he is an avid rock climber. He started climbing at 15, guided by a neighbor who introduced him to outdoor sport climbing.

Throughout his life, Carrano has embodied a favorite quote of his (which he has tattooed on his body) “It’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years.” It’s not only descriptive of his character but also a fitting tribute to his sister, Lauren, who had a profound impact on his life. Regarding his sister, Carrano shares “She had nine short years in her life, but here I am talking about her 18 years later. She had such an impact on me and my family and on so many people.”

Vinny stresses the importance of passion in all aspects of life, which he exemplifies by following his heart and finding what truly drives him. His passion is complemented by lessons from his time in the Marines, focusing on trust, discipline, and leading with an open heart and an open mind.

Carrano—Open heart, open mind. Photo: Bryan Karl Lathrop

You can support Vinny’s fundraising efforts by donating here. If you’d like to run with Vinny in the 2024 Philadelphia Love Run, register for the half marathon or 7k here, and then complete your Philly Runs Free form, which sets up your Legacy of Hope fundraising page. Your registration fee will be waived after you raise only $250 for Legacy of Hope. 

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Dr. Claudia Capparelli, PhD

Affiliations: Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

Education: PhD, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy – 2011

Focus & Impact:  Focus on the role of the SOX10 transcription factor with regard to tumor cell heterogeneity and plasticity across multiple genotypes in melanoma. Investigating how SOX10 plasticity/heterogeneity affects the response to MEKi and anti-ErbB3 combinations in WT BRAF melanoma patients. 

Publications: Publications Link

Honors & Awards:

  • Legacy of Hope Merit Award

  • Outrun the Sun Melanoma Research Scholar Award

  • Unical Fellowship Visiting Scholar

  • International Pigment Cell Conference Travel Award

  • Best Poster Presentation, Ninth Annual Jefferson Post-doctoral Research

  • INPDAP Fellowship for Student Merit 

  • University of Calabria Fellowships for Student Merit 

Dr. Qing Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Affiliations: The Wistar Institute, The Chen Laboratory, University of Maryland

Education: PhD,Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, State University of New York at Buffalo (Dean’s Award for outstanding dissertation) – 2006

Focus & Impact:  Focus is on the molecular mechanisms of brain metastasis originating from primary tumors like breast cancer, and the interplay between cancer cells and the stromal cells that populate the brain microenvironment. 

Publications: Publications Link

Honors & Awards​:

  • Legacy of Hope Merit Award

  • Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation for Health and Policy Award

  • Susan G. Komen, CCR Basic/Translational and Clinical application

  • The V Foundation for Cancer Research Award

  • Dissertation Research Award, Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation 

Nia Andrews

Bio Coming Soon

Rebecca Blinn

Bio Coming Soon

Carol Sollenberger

Bio Coming Soon

Maree Lavo

Bio Coming Soon

Bryan Lathrop

Bio Coming Soon

Kimberly S. Reed

An award winning international speaker, author, corporate trainer and diversity, equality and inclusion executive, nationally recognized thought leader, expert, strategist and advisor to some of the world’s most influential organizations in global professional services, health care, financial services, consumer products and pharmaceutical industries.

Kimberly is a seasoned leader in transforming organizations into high-performing enterprises and challenging leaders to live without limits, with more than 20 years of HR, talent acquisition, and diversity & inclusion experience; successfully turning around troubled diversity practices by designing, building, leading, and shaping high-performing cultures at global organizations with robust strategies, global employee development programs and enterprise-wide initiatives that have increased revenue growth and organizational brand eminence.

Michele Redrow

Michele is a Director on the Legacy of Hope board and also serves on the Executive Committee.

mary chicorelli

Professional:  Mary is a certified city planner for Philadelphia, a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association as well as the Philadelphia Bar Association, and the Pro Bono Honor Roll First Judicial District of Philadelphia.

Bio: Mary’s insight into the legal world is invaluable to Legacy of Hope, both in keeping our daily operations moving fluidly as well as making connections for our patients and their families when needed.

“Michael reached out to me about 2 years ago through mutual friends. We worked together to help a woman with stage 4 cancer get her electricity turned back on after it was shut off during the winter. I’ve been 100% supportive of Mike’s vision since then.”

joseph ruggieri, jr

Education: Bachelor’s of Science from West Chester University in Management and Finance

Bio: As a member of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.’s upper management team, Joseph brings a wealth of knowledge regarding finances, management, team-building and planning to the Legacy of Hope board. Joseph linked up with Michael, our President, and Wells Fargo began supporting Legacy of Hope annually.

“My father passed away from what started as Colon Cancer in 2015. Cancer is horrible and if there is something I can do to help others impacted I would want to be a part of it.”

David April

David is the founder of the Fishtown Beer Runners, an organization with chapters all over the world based here in Philadelphia.

dr. kevin kelly

Dr. Kevin Kelly leads Legacy of Hope’s Scientific Review Board to seek out and support the most promising cancer research in Philadelphia using a merit-based system.  He is Jefferson’s Director of Solid Tumor Oncology.

greg garber

Greg Garber is the director of Oncology Support Services at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.

Gina Mancuso

Gina’s experience as the very successful co-owner of CoreFitness, LLC coupled with her expertise in planning special events makes her the perfect Vice President for Legacy of Hope. With energy, passion, and drive that makes her seem superhuman, Gina’s connection to our mission is a personal one.

“Both my father and my dear childhood friend were diagnosed with cancer within 3 months of one another. They were surrounded and supported by friends and family throughout their battle and until their passing. No one should suffer through a diagnosis alone and, without Legacy of Hope, some people would do just that.”

Michael Rowe

Awards:

Volatile Media Management’s Mover, Shaker, Changemaker Award – February 2017

Miles Mack Community Services & Leadership Honorable Mention – 2016 TJUH Emergency Department Technician of the Year, Physicians Choice Award – 2015

TJUH Emergency Department Technician of the Year, Physicians Choice Award – 2014

Bio:

With his free time so limited, Michael manages to fuse his work with his other passion: running. Whether it is with the Fishtown Beer Runners, our own Team Relentless Hope, or his closest friends, Michael can often be spotted on the streets of Philadelphia keeping himself fit and active.