Saturday was the big 5K fundraiser for the Shifrin family. Happily, it was a much nicer day than today. (I took a bunch of photos, so scroll down for some of those.)
The race results are in. More importantly, so are the fundraiser results. Between registrants, donors, the bake sale and sponsors, the organizers raised over $50,000 to help the family with the medical costs associated with Brian Shifrin’s ALS.
Organizers shared their thanks to Southborough Kindergroup, all participants, donations, volunteers, police, CERT, sponsorships and the town of Southborough. (I’ll add in a thanks to Southborough Wellness which co-sponsored the event. You can see the full sponsor list here.)
According to the message, the funds raised cover about 2 months worth of medical care. That means it was a great help, but more support is still welcome. If you would like to contribute to the cause, you can still use the fundraiser’s link to donate here.
Right before the horn blew, Kristine Shifrin shared her appreciation with the crowd. Since the megaphone wasn’t working as well as hoped, she kept it brief. But she had planned a longer speech and she shared it with me to share with the community.
I am incredibly honored and full of gratitude! Brian wanted to badly to be here today to see all of you and thank you in person. ALS is a cruel and unrelenting disease that takes so much but it does not take your spirit and love. He is with us in spirit today and can not wait to see the pictures.
20 years ago next week, I went on a blind date with a really funny and cute guy, named Brian Shifrin. We knew really quickly that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, and bought a house in Southborough. That choice has proven again and again to one of the best choices we ever made! Brian became very active in town volunteering in many ways. Brian has always loved town politics and because of many you, he was able to fulfill a dream and be elected as a selectman in this town he came to love so much. Brian also LOVED coaching his kids and their friends in sports. When Brian was first diagnosed we talked about what was left on his bucket life. He said nothing. He had done so much more than he ever dreamed of doing already.
When people ask me how we can keep going. I say because of all of you. Every day in so many ways you all have been by our side during this very scary and uncertain journey. We will forever be grateful to all of you.
For those of you wondering about the running results, the first three places went to:
- Tyler Beauchesne of Southborough, 18:23
- Matthew Vogel of Fayville, 18:43
- Carmen Luisi of Holliston, 19:04
Results are listed for 423 runners and walkers. The total number of participants that morning was even higher. (Some showed up after all of the bibs were sold out and others were unable to complete the course due to schedule commitments.)
To see how you or your favorite runner did, you can click here for the details.
Here are more pictures of the big group, including serious runners pushing themselves, others enjoying a brisk jog, and casual walkers making the most of the crisp but sunny fall morning:
(photos by Beth Melo)
