Like father like sons, the Cavalleranos were born to run – and raised to do good. 

Jackson Cavallerano ’22, Louis Cavallerano ’27, and their brother, Nicholas, a senior at the University of Rochester, are running as a team in the 2025 Boston Marathon to raise money for charity.  

It’s a big challenge for a trio who have run zero previous marathons between them, but have a role model in their father, Chris.

Back in 2012, Chris ran his first marathon in Boston as a charitable fundraiser. Not only that, but he ran it blindfolded as a gesture of support for his chosen charity, the National Braille Press, which provides reading materials for blind and visually-impaired people. 

“It wasn’t meant as a circus act, but to say that with the right amount of support, anything's possible,” says Chris. “I had three different guides who helped me along the route, and we were successful in completing it.” Chris says he raised enough money as the first Boston Marathon runner for National Braille Press that they now have five runners, which makes a tremendous difference in the group’s fundraising. 

David Weinstein ’24H, a long-time trustee at Bryant and founder and CEO of the charity Write the World, was Chris’ peer at Fidelity Investments and introduced him to philanthropy as a young professional.  

“He inspired me even though I had student debt and all kinds of other economic challenges,” Chris recalls. “He taught me that you can always give back if you put in the effort; that has carried forward to my kids and what they're doing.” 

Chris’ marathon running days are behind him, but he’s handed the baton to his three sons.  

“Watching my dad be the first person to run the Boston Marathon blindfolded for National Braille Press was out of this world,” says Jackson, a Marketing major who now works in inside sales at restaurant software company Toast. 

“Watching my dad run the Boston Marathon blindfolded was out of this world."

Following in his father’s footsteps, Jackson is raising money for the National Braille Press, although he will do so minus the blindfold. Louis chose his hometown Friends of Wellsley Veterans as his charity, while Nicholas is soliciting donations for the War Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation. 

The Cavalleranos have a history of service that predates their marathon run. For example, “For the past four or five years every Memorial Day, my brothers and I have replaced the flags on veterans’ graves. That's really been moving,” says Louis, a Marketing major. “Just recently, I came back from a trip to Washington, D.C. with my Bryant professors and classmates, so I’ve been thinking a lot about the people who have given their service to our country. This is a way to give back.” 

The brothers mostly train on their own, but recently ran the Boston Marathon’s infamous Heartbreak Hill together in Newton.  

“My main running tool has been a treadmill in the Chace Fitness Center,” says Louis, whose training runs recently reached 20 miles, close to the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. “The resources here at Bryant are amazing; we've got state-of-the-art facilities.” 

As a Bryant parent and a coworker of Bryant grads, Chris says the university helps reinforce life lessons in giving back. “Students come out of Bryant hungry but trained,” he says. “Bryant not only gives them academic rigor but develops them socially and emotionally to enter the workforce and their communities as contributors.” 

“Bryant not only gives students academic rigor but develops them socially and emotionally to enter the workforce and their communities as contributors.” 

The Cavallerano brothers have each set targets of raising $10,000 for their charities and are approximately three-quarters of the way to meeting their goal. 

“Bryant really set me up for success, whether it's giving back or career or networking,” says Jackson. “As current and graduate students of Bryant we are thrilled to represent a can-do spirit to take on the physical challenge of training and completing our first marathon. More importantly, we hope to inspire members of the Bryant community to, whenever possible, align their passions with purpose.” 

The Boston Marathon will be held on April 21, and the Cavalleranos are accepting donations through the end of the month. To support them in their run, contributions can be directed to: 

Jackson Cavallerano: National Braille Press  

Louis Cavallerano: Friends of Wellesley Veterans 

Nicholas Cavallerano: Wellesley War Memorial Scholarship