Bill Foran was an accomplished long distance runner, and competed in the Boston Marathon. Following his death of metastatic colon cancer, an annual fund raising event known as the William F. Foran 5K was established in Harrisburg, Pa., in conjunction with the Edward and Jeanne Arnold Charitable Trust, the Penn State Hershey Medical Center and many sponsors. The event in 2009 raised $14,000 to promote cancer research and awareness.