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04/26/2017 12:00 AMThe 6th ANNUAL RUN FOR CHRIS 5K, WITH THE Y will be held Saturday, June 24, in Essex, CT, starting at Town Hall. Of note is the addition of “With the Y” to the run’s name, reflecting this year’s official partnering with the Valley Shore YMCA. The YMCA will bring a family aspect to this already great race and continue to have The Run for Chris kick off the Y’s Run Club’s race season as their featured race.
To encourage families to race together, all children under 14 can register for FREE before June 2nd. This fun family event, which includes a Kids’ Fun Run, face painting, music and games, is truly a great way to spend some quality family time together! For those 5K runners who are looking for a great race this June, this is a terrific course passes thru historic Essex with beautiful views of the Connecticut River. Awards and food for the runners, as well as a great raffle, round out the morning’s festivities.
The race is held in memory of Christopher Belfoure, a 2005 graduate of Valley Regional High School, with all the proceeds benefitting The Chris Belfoure Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.
While a student at Valley, Chris went on several school trips abroad. Chris went on to major in History and Chinese Studies at West Virginia University, where he spent a considerable amount of time studying abroad in China and became fluent in Mandarin.
Influenced by his own life-altering journeys, Chris was passionate about encouraging others to also broaden their horizons and follow their own paths. Sadly Chris lost his life at the age of 24, so to keep his inspiration and passion alive The Chris Belfoure Memorial Fund was established in 2011. The fund is intended to perpetuate Chris’s vision by helping local area high school students travel abroad. A race participant added this perspective about the run, “I think the race is also quite indicative of the ups, downs and flat stretches in life we all face from time to time. You have a wonderful foundation that celebrates the life of Chris, and which seeks to help others. That is incredibly admirable.”
To date 142 VRHS students have benefited from the Fund, traveling to such places as Costa Rica, France and Spain, for a total of $9,145 in grants. On April 24 students departed for Paris, supported by a $3,000 grant from the Chris Belfoure Memorial Fund, which is made possible by proceeds from the run and from its sponsors.
To register for the Run, go to www.aratrace.com. For more information, contact George Chapin, Race Director, at george_c@snet.net.
Visit the website @ www.chrisbel4mf.com