Although an hour’s sleep was lost the night before, the Early Learning Center (ELC) won the following morning.
The UMass Boston campus hosted the first annual Beacon Dash 5krun/walk (affectionately called the Fun Run) on Sunday April 6. A bright sunny day saw 150 runners/walkers participate in a race created to raise funds for the ELC, the UMB daycare center on Harbor Point.
Julie Sanabria, volunteer and head of the Local 509, was happy with the overall turnout for the event. She and others are hoping to make the Fun Run an annual event.
“It’s a seed that’s been planted,” she said. “We have a conservative expectation in terms of the amount of money that will be raised. However, we hope that we can make it grow into a bigger event next year.” The exact amount of money raised from the event had not been determined before the Mass Media went to print.
Sandra Bisphan Parkin, director of the ELC, called Sunday a “great morning.”
“I am very pleased. With our annual fundraiser in April being postponed, we needed a good showing here. Also, I want to thank Chris Hogan (Associate Dean of Student Life) for stretching the budget to make [the ELC] work for at least one more year.”
Multiple trophies were awarded to the winners of their respective age groups. The overall winner of the race was Brendan Lynch of Dorchester who finished the 5 kilometer course in the time of 16:34. The first women to cross the finish line was Katy Delaney, also of Dorchester, who ran a time of 20:08. Delaney, who works in the Beacon Fitness Center finished sixth in the overall standings.
Yet, the composition of the field extended beyond Dorchester Inhabitants. Alumnus Robert Bruzzese teaches at a Special Education school in Lynn. Bruzzese plans on running in the Boston Marathon in a few weeks and used the Fun Run as small warm up to it.
Amazingly, the Fun Run drew other runners who don’t have a direct connection to UMB. Mary and Jamie from Salt Lake City, Utah were in Boston on business and saw the event posted on an internet site. When they found out it was a fundraiser for a daycare center, they immediately signed up. A member of the South Boston L Street Club participated in the race. There were senior citizens and teenagers.
There are other organizations that are hosting events to raise money for the ELC. The proceeds of the 18th Black Student Center Fashion on Saturday April 26 will go to the daycare center.
