Strong support for ninth Janis Bresnahan Run for Education

AYER — With a record-breaking number of registered 5K race participants, the ninth annual Janis Bresnahan Run for Education had another successful, fun year.

Janis Bresnahan’s brothers, Kevin and Ben Bresnahan, served as event coordinators, managing the day’s activities in their sister’s memory in a way that would honor her love of life.

Growing up in Ayer as an avid outdoor enthusiast whose hobbies included running, cycling and boating, Janis served as co-captain of the Ayer High School women’s track team in her senior year.

Following school, Janis went on to dedicate her life and work to the education of children, teaching preschoolers at “Kiddie Depot” and later transitioning into teaching computer education as an enrichment program at several local elementary schools.

Her passion for teaching made it an easy choice to remember Janis each year by raising money for the Ayer-Shirley Education Foundation.

Under warm temperatures, this year’s Bresnahan family event raised more than $32,000 to benefit the Ayer-Shirley Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization supported by charitable donations from individuals and businesses.

The mission of the foundation is to provide enrichment programs and professional training aimed at improving the quality of education for students in the Ayer-Shirley Regional Schools.

There were 543 runners and walkers of all ages, with 299 participating in the 5K, 162 in the 2K, and 82 youngsters

in the various Tot Trots.

In addition, approximately 50 volunteers helped on the day of the event, putting the total attendance at just over 600 people. Bresnahan family members joined in the occasion from as far away as Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut.

The event is held each year at Ayer-Shirley High School, with the start and finish line set up on the track surrounding the football field. This year, activities tents set up with face-painting, a Legos table, a tattoo booth and sand designs, were filled with children who ran from table to table, wanting to take part in all that was offered. Live music performed by “The Nays,” a local classic rock band, entertained spectators.

Maureen Kilcommins, president of the Ayer-Shirley Education Foundation said, “We would like to thank the Bresnahan Family and friends for putting on another great Janis Bresnahan Run for Education. The money raised will allow the Ayer-Shirley Education Foundation to continue to provide educational enrichment opportunities otherwise not available to the students in Ayer and Shirley.

“The education foundation funds grants submitted by teachers in the Ayer and Shirley schools to provide such things as science and technology equipment, electronics, art programs, lectures and much more,” she said. “We are thankful to be a part of such a great community event.”

The Bresnahan family expressed great appreciation for the support shown by the community. According to Dana Bresnahan, who runs the registration activities on race day, “Sunday was a record turnout in all events for the Janis Bresnahan Run. It was a great day and a wonderful tribute to Janis, who loved children so much.

“Our cousin Betsy (Bresnahan) Dolan does an incredible job organizing the Tot Trot for kids ages 1 to 6,” she said, “and lots of fun activities for the kids. It’s great to see so many smiling faces. We added a 2K fun run/walk so that family members of all ages would have a fun event to participate in. I think it was our best event yet!”

This year’s 5K Race winners were Tim Gavin, (Male, age 37), of Weston, who finished with a time of 17:22; and Kara Haas, (Female – age 42), of Chelmsford, with a finish time of 18:39. This wasn’t Kara’s first win in the Janis Bresnahan 5K Race. The daughter of former Ayer Middle School teacher and principal, Richard Molloy, she was the overall winner of the 5K race in 2006 and has placed first for the women’s category a number of times.

Janis Bresnahan’s love for children carries on through the annual Janis Bresnahan Run for Education. Organizing an annual run in her memory is intended to bring her friends, family and the community together in a positive way and raise money for a good cause.

Ski to Sea heightens awareness following Boston Marathon bombing

Last month’s bombing attacks near the finish line of the Boston Marathon put sporting event coordinators of all kinds around the globe into planning mode to ensure that similar events are less likely to happen at their races.

Ski to Sea Race Director Pete Coy was no different.

“I probably started within an hour of that bombing,” Coy said. “I wanted to gear up and make sure we were prepared. This is not exactly a strategic target here in Bellingham, but at the same time, if somebody can make some news … you just need to be prepared.”

The nature of the 93-mile, seven-leg relay race from Mt. Baker Ski Area to Bellingham Bay makes security a challenge, particularly considering the race route winds through several municipalities and throughout rural areas of the county.

“The Ski to Sea course is almost four times longer than the Boston Marathon, and we have one-tenth the number of law enforcement personnel,” Coy said. “So if someone wants to do some damage along our course, they can do it. The most obvious places to do it would be the finish line and Squalicum Harbor, where there are the greatest number of people gathered.

“We are taking some extra precautions in those areas with the help of the Bellingham Police Department and all the law enforcement agencies we work with, but I don’t want to go into any more detail than that. But yes, we’re talking about it, and yes we’re urging our racers and volunteers to be vigilant. If somebody does something suspicious, call the authorities.”

Students Show Off Olympic Talents in Bedford

BEDFORD, Ohio — Nearly 45 area students showed off their Olympic talents Saturday at Bedford High School.

It was the first-ever Regional Special Olympics Track and Field Meet.

Students from Bedford and Berea city schools along with the Stark County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities competed in events like the shot-put, 100 meter dash, relays and long jumps.

The event kicked off with an Olympic-style parade of athletes at Bearcat Stadium.

Organizers said the students have been preparing for the competition for weeks.

“Just to see it on their faces when they paraded in, and their names were announced along with their affiliation,” said Diane Schentur, one of the event coordinators. “As you see an athlete finish an event and run across that finish line with the fans cheering, it’s amazing.”

The event is meant to qualify students to compete at the Special Olympics state level competition set for later this year.

Organizers hope to make the regional competition an annual event.

Boston Marathon: Northwest public event planners re-examine security

In light of Monday’s Boston bombings, marathon organizers and event planners throughout Oregon and Washington say they are examining their plans and protocols to ensure their events are as safe as possible.

“It just brings more awareness to everything,” said Brian Davis, race director for the Vancouver USA Marathon scheduled for June 16. “We are waiting for the dust to settle in Boston to see exactly what happened there.”

At a meeting of race organizers Monday night, the discussion inevitably turned to the terror attack in Boston, Davis said. Based on what everyone saw, Davis said he expects that the race’s medical staff and volunteers will step up their training before June.

Part of the plan for the Vancouver marathon, which draws 3,000 runners, will be to make sure everyone is trained in CPR and first response. Davis said he and his staff will meet with the Vancouver Police Department to discuss beefing up security, especially at the finish line.

Eugene Marathon spokesman Brian Berger declined to discuss specifics steps race organizers will take during the three-day event that starts April 26.

“Obviously, this is a fluid situation,” Berger said.

On the event’s website, organizers said the event will take place as scheduled and “we are working with city officials, law enforcement officials and first responders to ensure the safety of our participants and spectators.”

Les Smith, director of the Portland Marathon, issued a statement saying his group has worked closely with the city of Portland, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as first responders to make sure the race is safe.

“We plan to review and further improve existing protocols to be sure everyone feels secure and as safe as possible for our October 6th event,” Smith wrote in the statement.

Rich Jarvis, the spokesman for the Portland Rose Festival, said Monday’s tragedy “woke us up just like everybody.” However, Jarvis said, “we do already have some extensive plans in place, and we want to know what more we can learn from this event. We are all back to school on this.”

Rose Festival events stretch from March to mid-June and happen at many locations, and include boat races, three parades, golf tournaments and a half-marathon. Jarvis said organizers are already reviewing safety plans.

Portland police say they have been talking with event organizers for Cinco de Mayo, the Rose Festival and the Waterfront Blues Festival just like they do every year.

Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland Police spokesman and former Central Precinct supervisor with years of experience with downtown special events, said budget cuts have reduced the police presence over the years.

“During the Rose Festival Parade we used to have a cop on every block,” he said. “Now it’s much fewer. We’ve also cut back at the fun center at Waterfront Park. But if it was decided that we needed a larger presence, we would do it. Certainly we’re not going to ignore unattended bags or packages on the parade route.”

Simpson said anyone organizing a public event needs to dust off existing plans and ask some basic questions. Do you want to allow people to congregate at a race finish line? What are your weak points? And what about unrestricted access to certain locations? Is there a solid medical emergency plan in place? Is there intelligence that might dictate a change in procedure?

Simpson said the bombing shouldn’t dissuade people from attending public events.  

“To the people who might be scared to do something, I say we need to fight back,” Simpson said. “We cannot eliminate the risk, but our goal is to minimize it. We need to live our lives, but just be a little bit smarter.”

– Stuart Tomlinson

FBI: No Added Security Needed For Local Events

CORPUS CHRISTI – Security is top of mind to many event planners locally after Monday’s marathon bombing. Many event coordinators are taking extra precautions in their security planning in light of yesterday’s bombing, but police say the FBI has not recommended any changes to security.

He’s no stranger to big races, Beach to Bay Relay Race Director Doug McBee ran the Boston Marathon 10 years consecutively. But now his attention is focused on his own race that is set to take place in just a few weeks.

“I am really not concerned, I just don’t think we are high profile enough for that sort of event. That’s not to say we wouldn’t be cautious,” says McBee.

McBee says as of Tuesday, no runners have dropped out of the race in fact they are standing strong.

“Most of the comments we are getting right now are more defiant than they are scared,” says McBee.

There are plans now of having more security at the finish line in addition to added volunteers to ensure the safety of all involved that day.

“It’s not something we thought about until now, but not it will be one of those where we will definitely be doing that, having all our volunteers at the finish line be keeping our eyes open,” says McBee.

But before that race even starts another crowd drawing event will fill the streets soon, Buc Days, which is set to bring in 160,000 people. Buc Days President Barry Box says with in hours of the bombings the International Festival and Events Association sent an email out refreshing coordinators on their security techniques.

“There is a great network of communication in the even business. What we do is we go to work to see if there are any lessons learned that would be applicable for our office,” says Box.

He says you can have the safest event in the world and something like this could still happen. Both events are working closely with Corpus Christi Police Department and have heightened their security awareness. CCPD and event coordinators say if are planning to be at any of these events, just be aware and report anything that looks suspicious.

Bikes needed for Build a Bike Giveaway

UTICA, N.Y.(WKTV) – Utica safe schools is calling on bikes and parts to help them with their upcoming Build A Bike Giveaway. The 8th annual event will be held April 27th at the Utica Auditorium. They say with two months to go until the event, they’re behind.

Event Coordinators say last year many of their drop off sites were filled with bikes, but that’s not the case this year.

“As you saw from looking at the storage facility we still need a lot more bikes,” said Jeremy Butler, Utica Safe Schools Director of Programs. “Our goal is to give away over 500 bikes this year last year we gave away 671, it takes about 1300 bikes to give away that many.”

Butler says they have about 200 now, but need a lot more to help them reach their goal.

“For a lot of these kids this is the first bike they’re ever going to have, or for a lot of these kids the only bike they’re ever going to have,” said Butler. “And the smiles on their faces are priceless.”

Utica Safe Schools will be holding a drop off event Saturday February 23rd from 9 to 1 pm. at The Shoppes at the Finish Line.
They will accept any new, used or broken bikes as well as any parts or monetary donations.

Other drop off sites include:
- Whitesboro American Legion Post 1113 on 110 Main St., Whitesboro.
- Parkway Recreation Center on 220 Memorial Parkway in Utica.
- Deerfield Fire House on 5476 Trenton Rd., Utica.
- Whitesboro Police Department on 40 Roosevelt Drive, Whitesboro.
- CNY Veteran’s Outreach Center, 726 Washington St., Utica.

Donations can be given at www.usshealthystudents.org.

Legacy Run set for March 9

Participants cross the finish line at Sherwood’s 2012 Legacy Run for Life. This year’s run will be on March 9 and will benefit the Alpha Pregnancy Center.

ALBANY, Ga. — Now going into its third year, an annual running event held to raise funds for a community resource utilized by new or expectant mothers is now in the planning stages.

Legacy Run for Life, an event to benefit Sherwood Baptist Church’s Alpha Pregnancy Center, is set to take place at Legacy Park, Sherwood’s 82-acre sports park ministry, on March 9.

Special photo

Participants take off at the starting line at Sherwood’s 2012 Legacy Run for Life. This year’s run will be on March 9 and will benefit the Alpha Pregnancy Center.

“It’s bringing in community awareness that the pregnancy center does exists,” said Mike Johnston, executive director of the Sherwood Foundation. “There has been a lot of growth in client visits (at the center since the Legacy Run began).”

In 2010, a year before the Legacy Run came to fruition, the center had 286 visits. The number of visits continued to grow in 2011 and 2012, with tallies at 634 and 988 visits, respectively, Johnston said.

The growth in demand even has Sherwood in talks about expanding its services by partnering with a church in Terrell County to establish a Dawson branch, Johnston added.

Special photo

Toddlers race to the finish during the Toddler Trot at Sherwood’s 2012 Legacy Run for Life. This year’s run will be on March 9 and will benefit the Alpha Pregnancy Center.

Participation in the Legacy Run rose from 200 the first year to 400 the next, Johnston said, generating a total of $20,000 both years. The first year, some of the funds had to be used to pay off operational costs, but with more sponsors to help offset those costs, 100 percent of the proceeds are now benefiting the center, which serves as the crisis pregnancy and family counseling ministry of the church that is now in its 22nd year of operation.

Race events will include a 5K, a one-mile run/walk and a toddler trot. Along with the runs, there will be family activities and entertainment — including bouncy houses and popcorn. The cost is currently $20 for the 5K and the one-mile run, a fee that will increase to $30 after Feb. 25.

The cost for the toddler trot, an event for children ages 6 years and younger, will remain at $15. The 5K race starts at 9:15 a.m., with the one-mile run/walk at 10 a.m. The toddler trot, roughly one-half of a lap in length, is at 10:30 a.m.

An awards ceremony will conclude the morning. All children participating in the toddler trot will get a medal. For the 5K, awards will be given for first, second and third place for overall male and female as well as the top males and females in their respective age groups.

The 5K race is utilizing chip timing as well as a Road Runners Club of America certified course. The event is a Georgia Grand Prix race and a Peachtree Road Race qualifying event, coordinators say.

Those who wish to pre-register online should do so by March 4 by going to www.sherwoodbaptistchurch.net/legacyrun or searching for the event on www.active.com. Registration forms are also available at Sherwood and can be mailed back to the church, Johnston said.

Late registration and packet pick-up for those who pre-registered will be held from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at Sherwood’s atrium on March 8 and at 8:45 a.m. on race day at Legacy Park.

Legacy Park is located at 2911 Leary Road. For more information, call (229) 883-1910.

Competition Brings Forward Operating Base Together

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Loud music blared inside the concrete walls enclosing the outdoor work-out area behind the gym. A crowd of Soldiers, Airmen, civilian contractors and even local Afghan workers, watched and cheered as a competitor struggled through part of a challenging course.

First Lt. Rachael Shafer, assistant logistical adviser for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division, sprinted past a finish line with a 70-pound tire strung across her shoulder.

“All the way across the line, all the way across,” shouted U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Correy Hodge, one of the event coordinators and referees. “Stop.”

Shafer’s momentum came to a halt. She dropped the rope.

“Tire jump,” Hodge says as he motioned her toward the next event.

Twenty competitors and twice as many spectators congregated for the Forward Operating Base, or FOB, Lightning Warrior Competition, a six-stage, CrossFit type fitness contest. Participants were separated into four classes: women’s class, lightweight (159 pounds and below), middleweight (160-179 pounds) and heavyweight (180 pounds and above).

Each class had a series of events, starting with bench press repetitions, tire-drag, tire-jump, chin-ups and ending with the tire-flip.

“One of the residents came to me and asked why we never have any events,” said Staff Sgt. Diamond Ott, a logistical adviser for Regional Logistical Support Command – Southeast and one of the event coordinators. “So I said I’ll see what I can do and here we are.”

“We wanted initiative to get camaraderie on the base,” said Hodge, also a logistical adviser for RLSC-Southeast. Hodge, Ott and a few other Soldiers and Airmen at RLSC organized the event.

The competition is the first major event to get FOB residents from different sections together since the 4th of July 5K walk/run this summer. The event was more than just a contest. The warm November afternoon was a perfect opportunity to bring inhabitants of the small base outdoors for a chance to mingle outside the normal organizational communities.

“We expect them [the various participants] to gain a stronger sense of esprit de corps and camaraderie among the four different brigades that currently exist on the FOB,” said Capt. John Morris, FOB commander for the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “We have several different elements that often don’t get to work together outside of a couple meetings every week.”

Reasons for entering the warrior competition varied, but the main goal for many participants was to get exercise and test personal boundaries.

“My number one priority in just about everything I do is fitness,” said Staff Sgt. Chandelle Stone, psychological operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the 320th Psychological Operations Company at FOB Lightning. “It’s pretty much how I live my lifestyle.”

“I’m competing in this event today more as a personal test instead of a competition between other people,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cody Jenkins, a munitions adviser to the Afghan National Army’s 203rd Thunder Corps for the 2nd Munitions Squadron, 2nd Bomber Wing. “Obviously we wanted everyone to do well. I just wanted to see how I would do.”

Of the 20 competitors, most of them hit the gym regularly.

“Most of our Soldiers go to the gym at least once if not twice a day when they have the opportunity,” Morris said. “It hasn’t really taken a lot of pushing from me or the first sergeant. They have a great ethos when it comes to staying in shape.”

Regardless of how fit competitors thought they were, some of them were caught off-guard by the surprisingly challenging exercises. Added into the challenge was the 7,500-foot altitude, nearly a mile and a half above sea level.

“The easiest part was signing up,” Jenkins said. “The hardest thing I thought was having to deal with the altitude. You don’t realize until you get here, the effect that will have on you.”

“I’m definitely acclimating a lot better than a lot of people,” said Stone, an Aurora, Colo., native said. “Where I live is 5,280 feet.”

Stone took first place in the women’s class.

Aside from the regular daily physical training regiments, preparation for the challenge was minimal.

“Their platoon sergeant and section chief helped them get ready,” said 1st Sgt. Scottie Johnson, FOB Lightning noncommissioned officer in charge for the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “I just gave them the time off to do it.”

“It’s a good event for the Soldiers and great event for the FOB,” Johnson said. “It breaks the monotony of doing the everyday routine.”

“We encouraged them to take some personal time for themselves to maintain their morale,” said Morris. “Without that, the long hours our Soldiers work, I don’t think they would be able to perform their job as well.”

Both Stone and Jenkins have a history with past endurance events back in the United States.

“I’ve done quite a few fitness competitions,” said Stone. “My two most recent were a sprint triathlon in Aurora, Colorado, and a marathon in Denver.”

“Back in the states I’ve done a few 5K [races], things like that,” said Jenkins. “It’s fun training for triathlons. I’ve also done a few of those.”

A few competitors ate hot dogs from the barbeque that was cooking up snacks during the afternoon. The festivities came to an end as medals and t-shirts were passed out to all the competitors and trophies to the top finishers.

A punching bag carried during the final portion of the course had been ripped open while being dragged by a tired challenger and had to be stuffed and taped shut.

“I’m glad we had the wonderful weather and opportunity to work together as four separate units on this FOB.” Morris said.

Ott is surrounded by both Army and Air Force master sergeants at the Regional Logistical Support Command at FOB Lightning. He is the junior enlisted Soldier among his three-man team. Although he currently has no subordinates to inspire, he has plans for when he does.

“If I were to have a Soldier, I’d bring him out here and lead by example,” Ott said. “If these folks can do it, so can you.”

Gnarly Neon runners leave Bidwell Park bursting with color

Unicorn headdresses, wacky tutus and brightly colored wigs paired with neon glasses were spotted adorning runners Saturday morning in Lower Bidwell Park for the Gnarly Neon 5k run.

Blaring dance music and squeals of excitement launched this version of The Color Run, an untimed event for charity where participants dressed in mostly white run through clouds of color.

The majority of the proceeds for the Gnarly Neon 5k went to Little Red Hen, a non-profit organization that provides for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

DJ Mick Morris supplied bumping beats throughout the run from the starting line and a rock band performed for runners along the course.

Many groups took pictures of themselves sporting their newly colored clothes after crossing the finish line.

“Hold on I have a blue booger!” one woman shouted when a photo was about to be taken of her.

Beach balls were tossed and color parties ensued at the finish line. Participants danced and threw powdered bursts color at each other.

Many runners excitedly hypothesized that the color was made of Kool Aid.

“The color is food dye and corn starch, which is safe to eat,” said Jill Brines, chief marketing officer of CBH Events. “It’s not too tasty though.”

CBH Events, based in San Francisco, hosts recreational events across the western United States and hopes to expand the run to locations such as Fresno, Tucson, Long Beach and Bakersfield, Brines said.

The organization has been planning the run in Chico for about three months.

“The premise is from The Color Run, but we try to differentiate ourselves,” she said. “We have surprise obstacles like the man dressed in the banana suit and the color comes from hoses or people throwing it along the way.”

The event sold out unexpectedly fast, Brines said.

Event coordinators and Chico alumni Brent Haapanen and Cris Brines wanted to bring the event back to their Chico roots.

Haapanen was excited to see such interest and passion from the people of Chico, he said.

“The most gratifying experience was hearing people say how much they wanted to do it again,” Haapanen said.

The event had volunteers including Chico State Alpha Phi sorority and event management majors.

Chico State was represented well at the event. Many students planned their teams months in advance.

Caitlyn Millerick, a liberal studies major, found out about the event through friends on Facebook. She was interested in the race because she used to work at Little Red Hen.

“I’m just excited to have fun with my friends to benefit charity,“ Millerick said.

Cris Brines was pleased that the people of Chico loved the idea and had an awesome time, he said.

“The highlight of my day was seeing smiles on everyone’s faces,” he said. “Chico has never had something like this before and it’s great to see the community coming together.”

Forty to 50 percent of participants were out-of-towners from as close as Redding to as far away as Washington, Cris Brines said.

It is currently unknown if the city will allow the event to take place next year because the cleanup was expected to be difficult, he said.

Chico street sweepers had done a great job when he went back later to check, Cris Brines said.

Event coordinators for the Almond Bowl run were not happy that many participants went to the Gnarly Neon 5k instead this year, he said.

The event needs community support so it can happen again next year, Cris Brines said. Participants can help by calling the Chico City Council and telling them they enjoyed the run or by posting pictures on Gnarly Neon 5k’s Facebook page.

The city of Chico will let CBH Events know in a few weeks if they will be able to hold the run again, but it may be in a private location instead of Bidwell, Cris Brines said.

Risa Johnson can be reached at rjohnson@theorion.com.

‘Run From the Law 5K’ invites cops, runners from Arlington, Marysville

TULALIP — The debut “Run From the Law 5K” on Saturday, Sept. 16, aims to recruit both cops and runners of all ages to help raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Shelley Hutcheson-Smith, who’s taking part in coordinating the first-time event, with an eye toward making it annual, explained that volunteer police officers will start five minutes after the civilian runners to try and cross the same finish line.

“We’ve already got some folks from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the Tulalip Tribal Police,” said Hutcheson-Smith, who thanked Quil Ceda Village for providing the Tulalip Amphitheatre as the site of the 5K charity. “We’d love to see Marysville and Arlington police officers as well. We want the whole community to get involved.”

Hutcheson-Smith hopes to see at least 10 police officers and about 100 runners signed up in time for the 5K, which is scheduled to run from 8-10 a.m. on Sept. 16.

“We’re really beating the bushes to get more participants,” said Hutcheson-Smith, who credited an employee of North Sound Physical Therapy in Marysville for coming up with the idea of a 5K to “run from the cops,” and the owner of that business for inspiring its choice of charity, since the owner’s son benefitted from the Make-A-Wish Foundation while receiving heart surgery. “We expect this is the sort of event that will start small but grow over the years.”

Hutcheson-Smith added that many of the event’s coordinators are volunteering their services to try and minimize its expenses, so that it can meet a goal of around $2,500 in donations directly to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The cost to participate is $25 per person. For more information, email runningtogive@gmail.com or log onto www.runfromthelaw5k.com.

Contact Marysville Globe Reporter Kirk Boxleitner at kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300 Ext. 5052.

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