Gene would tell of the moment his life was changed upon seeing the film “Running Brave,” Billy’s life story of growing up poor and orphaned on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation who had a dream to one day win an Olympic gold medal in long-distance running, and how he was determined to find Billy and together form the organization that became Running Strong.

In the more than 30 years since, through Running Strong, Gene and Billy have provided running water to tens of thousands of Native Americans on Pine Ridge and elsewhere (their first priority), as well as supplemental food boxes, school supplies, shoes, winter coats to Native children throughout Indian Country, kept Pine Ridge families warm in winter through a heating assistance program, taught families how to grow bountiful gardens in their own backyards, and much more.