McAuliffe event honors soldiers who serve nation
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

Military veterans including Richard Brody (far left) were on hand to watch the activities associated with the seventh annual Run for Veterans at the McAuliffe Middle School, Jackson. Brendan Fitzpatrick, 16, (l) crossed the finish line first in the 1-mile run adult division.

JACKSON - The seventh annual Run for Veterans drew a crowd of runners and walkers to the McAuliffe Middle School, Hope Chapel Road, to partake in an afternoon of special events.

Joining in the Nov. 6 events were students, parents, brothers and sisters, many of whom ran in honor of relatives who were veterans of past and present wars.

The guests of honor included veterans Larry St. Laurant and Richard D. Brody.

Brody said the McAuliffe students make donations of personal items which are sent to troops around the world. Sponsorship money this year will help support a World War II memorial in New Jersey, he said.

Brody said his organization, the Veterans of the Vietnam War, uses the money it receives to support veterans' programs and also for the Support the Troops packages.

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"This is a great event," he said. "The kids and the parents get involved. It's good stuff."

Also in attendance was New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith who said, "I think the event is an overwhelming success. It will wind up producing phone cards and other kinds of assistance to our veterans and men and women overseas. They will be getting letters from students, which is a clear encouragement particularly when they are in harm's way. That just brightens their day and week."

Smith said the veterans who attend the event help make it clear to everyone involved that freedom requires sacrifice.

"These are the men and women who have kept us free," he said. "There are a number of Korean War veterans and Vietnam War veterans here and I think that's good for them. I congratulate the school. There are very few schools that do something like this and it turns out to be a fun competition for the kids, the parents, the school staff and everybody. This school is doing something right."

Event coordinator Nancy Del'Osso said, "Every year it gets a little bigger. We started seven years ago as a small project [and then we] added other veterans activities. Every year we raise a couple of thousand dollars."

Del'Osso said the proceeds from this year's event will benefit the New Jersey World War II memorial to be built in Trenton in 2007 in cooperation with the Jackson Veterans of Foreign Wars and Veterans of the Vietnam War, New Jersey Post No. 3.

"It looks like we have a bigger turnout than ever again this year," Del'Osso said. "Usually we are able to collect about $2,000 to $3,000."

At the end of the running events the trophies and awards were presented. They included, Brendan Fitzpatrick, 16, a sophomore at Jackson Liberty High School, first in the 1-mile run. Brendan ran in the adult division.

Other 1-mile run winners included: sixth-graders, first place, Mike Marino and Alex Kavoleff; second place, Jarrett Beebe and Amy Hickman; third place, Matt Weisbrod and Maggie O'Connor.

Seventh-graders, first place, John Morgan and Alyssa Scalli; second place, Adam Fayed and Itgel Jargalsaikhan; third place, Phillip Curtis and Kelly Ranzweiler.

Eighth-graders, first place Greg O'Connor and Holly Zimmermann; second place, Michael Davies; third place, Trevor Brand.

The winners, adult male and female, first place, Brendan Fitzpatrick and Lauren Carrier; second place, Todd Engle; third place, Ryan Cucchiara.

In the all-student relay team division the winners were Shane Carrel, Josh Avilleira and Derek Russell.

Winners in the mixed relay team were John Panghorn, Jonathan Panghorn and Adam Fayed, and in the Golden Boot award for the relay team with a teacher, the winners were Signe Lockwood, Jordan Boothe and Derek Russell.

The Most Patriotic Runner or Walker award was won by Krysta Traxinger, and the Most Patriotic Stroller award was won by Diane Sendecki with Miguel.

The Largest Walking Team was won by Jessica Banister's "32" and the Most Participation by a Homeroom award was won by Marianne Higgins' homeroom.

McAuliffe School Principal Kevin DiEugenio praised Del'Osso and the faculty committee for organizing the event and thanked Rebecca Dishon and her chorus students for their performance.

DiEugenio noted that student Marcus Molyneux was the winner of the T-shirt competition. T-shirts with the names of the event's sponsors - Bil-Jim Construction, Cavanaugh's, SAL Lake-wood Post No. 166, Wayne's Auto Body, ShopRite, R.W. Zinc Stairs and Rails, J. Angeles Painting, Crossroads Realty, Joseph D. Grisanti Attorney at Law, McAuliffe Builders Club Kiwanis, Jackson Optimist Club and the Eye Center at Jackson - were sold to raise funds.