Running With Purpose: How Art Dion Turned Miles Into Meals for His Neighbors

Since his teenage years, Art Dion has lived with a simple conviction: give back however you can, wherever you are. That conviction has carried him across continents, through world-famous finish lines, and straight into the heart of Samaritan Community Center’s mission.

Art moved back to Northwest Arkansas in 2015 after having previously lived in the region from 2005 to 2009. Shortly after his return, a friend—Lane Andrews—invited him to run the Susan G. Komen 10K. Having run track in high school, Art thought, why not? What he didn’t expect was that the race would spark a new passion that would take him far beyond the streets of Northwest Arkansas.

After that first race, Art set an ambitious goal: run the Boston Marathon. While looking into how to qualify, he discovered something that changed everything—many Boston Marathon runners were raising money for charity. That struck a chord. Art signed up to run in 2015 on behalf of “Team For Kids,” combining his newfound love for endurance sports with his lifelong love of helping others, but Art wasn’t done.

Curious about how his fundraising could make the biggest impact, he began researching both local and national nonprofits. After extensive research, one organization stood out: Samaritan Community Center. According to Art, “Samaritan offered more services than any other charity I found—and it was right here in Northwest Arkansas.”

From that point on, every race became a platform to support Samaritan. Every training run, every fundraising page, every finish line—he dedicated it all to helping provide food, clothing, health care, and hope to those who needed it most.

Art went on to pursue the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors, running and completing:

• Boston (twice)

• New York City

• London

• Berlin

• Tokyo

• Chicago

  
  

In October 2021, he was inducted into the Abbott Marathon Hall of Fame—one of a select few who’ve completed all six races.

But Art didn’t stop there.

In 2022, he became one of only 300 people to complete the Antarctic / South Pole Marathon, where he was named “Most Inspiring Runner.” And honestly? We agree.

To date, Art has raised over $183,000, the majority of which has gone to support Samaritan Community Center’s programs. His efforts have been featured on TV, in national articles, and even caught the attention of running legend Bill Rodgers, who said, “Art is one of the most successful charity marathoners in the U.S.”

These days, Art has traded his running shoes for cycling cleats, completing multiple 100km charity rides. And still, his heart remains focused on the people of Northwest Arkansas.

But ask Art who the real heroes are, and he’ll deflect every time:

We couldn’t agree more. But we’re still pretty proud to have Art on our team.

Follow this link to donate with Art! http://weblink.donorperfect.com/ArtDionCharityFundraiser