Boston Massacre Hits Home

Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey

On Sunday, April 21, 2013

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2013

 

BOSTON MASSACRE HITS HOME                     

 

It’s a small world, so the saying goes.  In the world of runners our connections can take us anywhere.  Here in New Jersey one connection to Boston begins in Madison, then to the Rose City Runners, to New Hampshire and then to Boston. 

Jim McGrath of Madison is a member of the Rose City Runners club.  He works with Dan Peterson at Cadence Design Systems in New Providence. 

Peterson and his family have a summer home in New Hampshire as do Bill and Denise Richard.  Those names have become all too familiar to us in the days following the massacre in Boston on Monday.  Their son Martin is the little boy who was killed in the blast at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  Martin Richard’s  picture has been shown many times this week, holding a sign promoting peace, bringing tears to ones eyes at the irony of the little boy’s prayer for peace that didn’t reach his assasins.

“Their daughter Jane was critically injured and has lost part of her leg. Denise, Martin's mother, is currently undergoing a second surgery to remove shrapnel from her eyes after her first brain surgery,” wrote Peterson in a post that was sent to McGrath who sent it on to the emailing list of the Rose City Runners.  “Bill and son Henry are not injured. They were all there watching the race.”

Peterson’s post is poignant.  “We have watched the Richard's children each summer as they have grown up before our eyes.”  He writes that his sons have adopted the Martin children each summer as their younger "siblings" teaching them how to swim, wakeboard, and tube.

“Martin and Henry loved to have older "brothers" and Jane puts them all to shame with her love of life and a tenacity second to none,” he wrote.   “This senseless attack has changed the Richard family forever in such a tragic way.”

“My oldest son Christopher and his classmates at the MIT Center for Civic Media have worked with the Richard family to establish a fund in their name to assist the family in any way we can under the circumstances,” he wrote.  “ If you feel you can help, a contribution to the fund would be greatly appreciated.

The Richard Family Fund - http://richardfamilyfund.org/ -is coordinated by friends of the family, with the approval of their representatives, to help provide an avenue of assistance for those who wish to contribute.

According to the website, donations are collected via WePay and deposited directly into a special bank account administered by St. Mark's Area Main Street.  SMAMS is a non-profit member of the City of Boston's network of local Main Street programs devoted to helping the local community.

“One hundred percent of the donations collected via the campaign will be disbursed to the Richards,” wrote Peterson.  “We expect the funds to be used for medical expenses, for memorial services, or other appropriate expenditures at the family's discretion.”

Television coverage has shown a bank of barrier fences near the marathon finish where people have set up a spontaneous memorial of flowers and stuffed animals to show their sympathy for those affected by the massacre.  It is moving to see, but a better way; money better spent is a donation to a fund for the victims of this crime.

CLINTON COUNTRY RUN ON SATURDAY

Next Saturday the Clinton Country Run 15K is the New Jersey masters championship.  After the Indian Trails 15K that was the open championship, the Clinton race will feel like an easy lope.  Although it does offer one long grade in the middle of the race, that grade can’t compare to the hills of the Indian Trails race.

The Clinton race could actually be more accurately called a trail race than the Indian Trails.  For a time the course goes along an abandoned road with no cars, making for a very pleasant venue for at least part of the race.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ALSO ON THE SCHEDULE

Some New Jersey teams will be sending at least one team to Dedham Massachusetts for the national 10K masters championship that will take place on Sunday, the 28th.  The Clifton Road Runners M70, and the Raritan Valley and the Shore Athletic Club M60 teams should have at least an A team to be in the national competition.  Other clubs have been encouraged to send teams to the national championships this year, which would put them in contention for the national team grand prix.

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Race Results can often be found at www.compuscore.com or at  www.bestrace.com 

A calendar of USATF sanctioned events can be found at www.usatfnj.org or at www.raceforum.com for running and tri and biathlon events.

Contact Madeline Bost at madelinebost@verizon.net.