HAVERFORD, Pa. – The 2013 Joe Schwartz ’83 Memorial
3K Run/Walk featured a new race course on Sunday, April 28 but the
unwavering support of the Haverford College community in the fight
against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) remained a
constant.
An event-record 224 people ran or walked the three-kilometer
race that started and finished this year on Founders Green and
included two laps around the duck pond. The
record-breaking number of participants surpasses the previous high
of 179 set in 2010.
The latest installment of the annual race was also
record-setting in funds raised. Proceeds from the day, directed
towards ALS research, have already exceeded over $7,000 with
donations still coming in. Previously, the event had reached a high
mark of $4,600 in the inaugural year of 2008.
The six-year history of the event has seen 887 people
participate overall and over $23,000 raised in the fight against
ALS.
Elliot Schwartz, Joe’s son and a member of the Haverford
track & field team, was the top finisher for the second
consecutive year with a time of 9 minutes, 32 seconds while his
brother, Jonathan, was the winner of the under-18 age group.
Aileen Keogh garnered the top female prize in 11:22 and she also
joined with Matt Cohen and Alyssa Mayo to win the team
competition.
The 10-week training contest leading up to the race saw
individuals and departments from the college community compete
against each through exercising and participating in the Squirrel
Boot camp every Tuesday and Thursday. Institutional Advancement
earned the top prize for rate of participation by department
members and Nancy Sunderland from the Business Office was the
winner of the individual portion of the training challenge.
Joe Schwartz graduated from Haverford College in 1983. He was a
committed member of Haverford’s cross country and track teams
for the four years he attended Haverford, and he excelled in both
sports. He encouraged those who won MAC Championships as well as
students who were casual participants to be part of something
bigger than themselves. From the moment he stepped on the Haverford
campus, Joe was integral in building a proud tradition of athletic
excellence at this school.
In 1995, Joe contracted Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at
the age of 34. He first noticed the symptoms when he was out
training for road races. He courageously endured the hardships
imposed by this cruel disease for thirteen years until his
unfortunate death on March 2, 2008.
The Joe Schwartz ’83 Memorial 3K Run/Walk is designed to
attract the running superstar and the walking novice because that
is exactly how Joe would want it. He simply loved people lacing up
their shoes and enjoying the freedom to run and walk, a freedom
that was deprived from Joe by ALS. Proceeds from the Run/Walk will
be donated to The ALS Association and directed towards ALS
research. The ALS Association is the only national non-profit
organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. The cause,
cure and means of control of ALS are unknown. Symptoms of ALS, also
known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, include the wasting and
paralysis of the muscles of the limbs and trunk as well as those
that control vital functions such as speech, swallowing and
respiration.
2013 Results
