ever by a single individual this week when a local woman who ran the New York Marathon in November donated $14,000 in fundraising proceeds.

"It's an absolutely fantastic achievement,'' PALS president Mrs. Ann Smith Gordon said of Mrs. Fran Tucker's gift.

Mrs. Tucker, who works in the Bank of Butterfield's international business development department, completed the 24-mile run, her first marathon ever, on November 12, one of the coldest days in the New York race's history.

"The conditions were brutal!'' the amateur runner said. "But there was absolutely nothing that was going to keep me from running this.'' Mrs. Tucker, who began running casually some 17 years ago, approached 180 corporate and individual sponsors before her race, eventually collecting the the PALS donation from approximately 57.

While Mrs. Tucker was unable to sign up for one of the 25 slots that the marathon allots each year to Bermudian entrants, she managed to use some connections in the US to register for the event.

Mrs. Tucker's completion time in the marathon, which saw more than 27,000 finishers this year, was 4:39:13.

MARATHON WOMAN -- Mrs. Fran Tucker (right) presents the $14,000 that she raised by running the New York Marathon last month to PALS president Mrs. Ann Smith Gordon and treasurer Mr. John Hill.