for the past eight years the sports event in management class at Longmeadow
high school
has been sponsoring an event called the stroll for strength
this year the 5k Road race through Longmeadow is a memory of 23 local
people who've passed away
leading point producer Dave Fraser in our intern TJ Hannigan
who worked on the stroll when he was a long metal high student couple years
back
let telling us more about the event and the grieving families it supports
this are nine annual event
so there family and friends are gonna come together day before Thanksgiving
on to remember the loved ones that have
passed on when I talk to my students
beginning up putting on the about this and you're probably going to
Kimora yes Simon you're signing
Ramadan and I'll you probably won't feel that way
until the day of the event my job
is hi said call different
organizations and as for a donations
for my job seriously is to raise money and get sponsors for the entire man
for November 27 I'm a director so I kinda oversee what everyone's doing a
people business
the call I am make connections with the families
I'm personally close with are
Gary Shea a dad who passed away for five years ago
because we were family friends and used to take me to football practice every
day
some means a lot to me to show to the family eye care
just personally knowing the Reynolds family and other families
who have lost someone I'm it just means that much more that I can help them out
through this tough time
so we set small goals for each student's raise
a small monetary amount but we don't have any any real
monetary goals over the years we've probably raise Dom
outs a private in five and ten thousand dollars a year
the money that we raise goes to several fun real example organizations that the
parents
or their family members choose to honor their Loveland
what on my colleagues Bob Pisani
passed away while we were doing the first straw for strength why we're
getting ready
mister Posani was the drug and substance abuse coordinator here at the
high school and I one day after school
he he left to go home to his family I had a little girl at the time and he
just had a
and baby a baby
and it was a son and
course he was really excited teen to go home and unfortunately while he was
driving home
he was hit head-on and
died
and for are own high school on
it was tragic we realize how fragile life was.
how you know you could be here today in the next day
you're gone and we wanted to help his family
you just had a outgoing spirit where he became friends with everybody
and so when he passed away everybody
at one when I would be like oh yeah I was his favorite
you know and made you feel like you were special no matter who you are
scene
all these other people that it that remember bob in hearing those memories
and
it's been especially important to my kids
they look forward to it every year my son was three months old when his dad
died
so he didn't really get that opportunity to know him
so he's gotten to know him to other people and
and my daughter till she she know I'm she was it
almost nine when he passed away but its just incredible to see it
the outpouring of support it makes you feel not alone and in
it it's a nice way to remember loved ones right before the holiday
and it's just so inspiring to see the students in
and what they do. and what they're able to put together
its sent like nothing I've ever seen
my I'll
shortstop was passed away just a few years ago george was just in the bars
he would have been had worked on the straw first thank the one above clauses
I would've been a big part of helping us put another one on just a wonderful
young man
I and his dad and mom are very very
on very had delighted to be here every year as we try to keep george's name
on live he was our only child and when he passed
it was kind of a shock and we basically
mmm kinda just took a step back in cana refocused on light
and said what's left force being apart
of an event every year gives us something to look forward to
and it helps us to get through the day and plan
and as the event gets closer we
week I know pick up George spirit and brings us back to
being alive again
ok
then awesome cause fact the families together
there is a community one of my teammates fathers is someone our honor and
so I think that it will just bring everyone together
and I'm in a really bad we get a lot out of it it just makes me feel good to know
that we're helping families
on every year we get the big hugs from the families and then they
they tell us that this is a on something to look forward to every year and that's
one the highlights of the year
and I'm to keep someone's name
and someone's memory alive arm
through a class project I it doesn't get any better than that
they'll walk away from this event knowing that
how they live their life matters I can't make the pain go away for someone that's
lost
a loved one but maybe I can provide a little kindness
and and that's why we do it