Marine Gunnery Sgt. Mario Sanchez Jr., of the 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, celebrated his 32nd birthday by running 32 miles on Okinawa, Aug. 14, 2024. (Mario Sanchez Jr.)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Children at an orphanage and shelter on Okinawa now have new basketball goals to play with thanks to a generous Marine who ran 32 miles for his 32nd birthday.

Gunnery Sgt. Mario Sanchez Jr., of the 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, pounded the pavement Aug. 14, the day before his birthday, collecting $32 pledges from 32 fellow Marines in his battalion.

With the $1,028 raised, he purchased basketballs and goals for Urawa Women’s Shelter in Urasoe city, which accepts single mothers and their children in need of housing, and the Nagomi Children’s Home, an orphanage in Nago city.

Sanchez delivered a goal and five balls to the children’s home on Aug. 27. The next day he did the same at the shelter and stuck around to help set up the goal and shoot some hoops.

“I was kind of overwhelmed by how great it felt, especially playing basketball with the kids afterwards,” he told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Mario Sanchez Jr., center, poses with Urawa Women's Shelter staffers in Urasoe city, Okinawa, after donating a basketball goal and five balls on Aug. 28, 2024 (U.S. Marine Corps)

Sanchez said he likes to go on long runs to enjoy Okinawa’s scenery, averaging 10 miles every other day. The longest route he’s ever run was 55 miles, which took him about 10 hours, he said.

He said his 32-mile birthday run took about six hours on a route that stretched west from Camp Courtney to Kadena Air Base, around Camp Foster and back up the east coast to Courtney.

“I saw that we have some Marines in our unit that volunteer with some of the charities,” he said. “I’ve always thought about trying to incorporate some sort of charity organization with the run, and I figured why not on my birthday?”

Sanchez talked to his battalion commander, Lt. Col. Wesley Tucker, who pointed him to the information group’s community relations specialist, Takayuki Kayo. Sanchez wanted to donate to an organization that worked with kids or single mothers, and Kayo suggested the sports equipment.

“Basketball is kind of a big sport to those charities, so they asked for new basketball courts,” Sanchez said.

The orphanage’s basketball goal was getting old, and the replacement from Sanchez has been well received, said the home’s administrative chief, Dai Shimabukuro.

“The goal is already installed, and the kids are playing almost every day when it is sunny,” he said by phone Tuesday.

The women’s shelter had a basketball goal that was removed this spring because it was “old and getting dangerous,” said Kippei Yonaha, child supporter at the shelter.

“We were really glad to get this one from Mr. Sanchez,” he said by phone Tuesday. “Mr. Sanchez helped us to install the goal, and the kids were happy and playing on it the same day.”

Sanchez had about $300 left after purchasing the equipment and plans to donate it to his battalion’s annual toy drive in December.

He said he has been on Okinawa since 2022 with his wife and two children and hopes to extend his tour on the island.

“I most likely will do a 33-miler next year, but again, that’s if my body keeps it together,” he said.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Mario Sanchez Jr., left, helps assemble a basketball goal he donated to the Urawa Women's Shelter in Urasoe city, Okinawa, Aug. 28, 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps)