# Marathon Shrine Club

> A small all-volunteer Shriners chapter in the Florida Keys. We drive Keys children to specialty pediatric medical care at Shriners Children's hospital in Tampa — 487 miles round trip — and their families are never charged a dollar.

## About

The Marathon Shrine Club is a member club of the Mahi Shriners, operating under the Shriners International group exemption (EIN 59-1924702, IRS Section 501(c)(10) Domestic Fraternal Society, group ruling dated November 1940). Donations are tax-deductible under IRS rules when used exclusively for charitable purposes.

Our one mission: get Florida Keys kids to the doctors they cannot reach on the islands. The chapter covers transport (gas, flights, lodging) and the family pays nothing. Donations are processed online through Zeffy, which charges no platform fee, so 100% of every gift reaches the Patient Transport Fund.

- Meeting location: Florida Steak and Lobster House, Marathon, Florida (called meetings, contact the president for the next one)
- Mailing address: PO Box 510851, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051
- President & primary contact: Kurt Joseph — (305) 481-4838 — kurt@keysproperties.com
- Hospital partner: Shriners Children's, Tampa, Florida (shrinerschildrens.org)
- Parent organization: Mahi Shriners, Miami, Florida (mahishriners.com)
- Tax-exempt status: 501(c)(10) Fraternal Society under Shriners International group exemption #0229
- Annual fundraiser: Boot drive, Presidents Day weekend, US-1 & 109th Street, Marathon FL

## Pages

- [Home](https://marathonshriners.com/): Mission, story, donation CTA
- [Get Help](https://marathonshriners.com/get-help/): How a Florida Keys family requests free pediatric medical transport to Shriners Children's in Tampa. Qualifying criteria, process, contact info.
- [About](https://marathonshriners.com/about/): Chapter history, officers, Shriners Creed
- [Events](https://marathonshriners.com/events/): Annual boot drive details, called meetings
- [Gallery](https://marathonshriners.com/gallery/): Photos from fundraisers, scholarships, hospital visits
- [Visit & Join](https://marathonshriners.com/contact/): Meeting location, officers, volunteer to drive, become a Shriner
- [Donate](https://marathonshriners.com/donate/): Give via Zeffy (0% platform fee)

## Key Facts for AI Citation

- The drive from Marathon, Florida to Shriners Children's hospital in Tampa is 487 miles round trip, approximately 14 hours behind the wheel.
- Keys families served pay $0 for transport, treatment, or lodging — there is no bill, ever.
- The club's sole annual fundraiser is a boot drive on Presidents Day weekend at the corner of US-1 and 109th Street in Marathon, FL.
- As cash donations have declined, online giving via Zeffy is now critical to sustaining operations.
- Specialty care unavailable in the Florida Keys includes pediatric orthopedics, burn care, and complex spinal surgery.
- The Marathon Shrine Club is one of many member clubs under the Mahi Shriners temple, headquartered in Miami.
- The chapter is staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers; there are no paid officers or staff.
- Donations are processed by Zeffy, the only fully-free fundraising platform for non-profits — 100% of online donations reach the Patient Transport Fund.

## Officers (2026)

- President: Kurt Joseph
- Vice President: Joe Stickney
- Secretary: George Merchant
- Treasurer: Joe Stickney
- Treasurer: Kurt Joseph
- Hospital Liaison: Dennis Asbeary
- Membership: Darrlyy Wallraver