The Tomorrow’s Children Fund hosted their Annual Join Hands 5K on Sunday, Sept. 15. They were joined by the Becton Pack, which included members of the faculty, students, and Becton community. Becton is a proud and consistent sponsor of the TCF, led by Ms. O’Driscoll, who has been instrumental in ensuring Becton’s participation in the annual 5k since its beginning.
This year, the Becton Pack delivered an exceptional performance, with Wildcats claiming five of the top ten spots out of a field of 270 runners. Avid runner and friend of the Becton community, David Baranauskas, showed up for Becton by placing 2nd overall and first in his age group. Mr. Parillo was the overall performer for Becton faculty, earning fourth place in the overall ranking and 2nd place in his age group. Meanwhile, Mr. Geraghty and student Angel Wei won first place in their age groups and fifth and seventh in the overall race respectively. Other titles went to Dr. Sforza (9th overall) and Mr. Dorsey (23rd overall) who both came in 3rd in their age groups, and Ms. Woyce (34th overall) and Ms. Calasso (67th overall) who came in 2nd in their own age groups. In addition, Becton once again took home the School Spirit award for continuously being one of the ardent sponsors of this event. Dr. Sforza expressed his pride for Becton’s enthusiastic response to this event year after year, describing the Becton Pack as “a small army that’s armed with BIG HEARTS and running shoes in our fight for a great cause.”
While the 5k itself was an enjoyable experience, an opportunity to have some fun and connect with others over a shared interest, it is important to keep in mind why we participate. The Tomorrow’s Children Fund (TCF) is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children affected by pediatric cancer and serious blood disorders, along with their families. TCF raises funds and hosts events, such as the Annual 5K, to provide assistance and honor those impacted by these conditions. Many of the teachers who ran the trail on Sunday emphasize the importance of running in support of this cause, whether for the kids of the TCF, kids in their own lives, or even themselves. “Childhood cancer is not given enough funding or attention. It is heartbreaking to hear the stories that these families and children have. All and any support for the cause will hopefully bring scientists and doctors closer to a cure!” Ms. Woyce says compassionately.
The majority of Becton’s teachers that participated in the Annual 5k run to spread awareness and demonstrate support for the cause; however for others, it is more personal. Some teachers are running for themselves. Mr. Parillo runs this race to represent his own journey as a cancer survivor, while Dr. Farina runs to show himself that “anything can be overcome”. Dr. Farina explains that he was diagnosed with heart failure last year and that since then he has been determined to conquer his diagnosis. “I made it my mission to do everything that I could to not have it limit my life,” he says resolutely.
For Ms. O’Driscoll, who had coordinated Becton’s efforts at the TCF since the run was started nine years ago, this event is for her best friend who was a survivor of childhood cancer. For Dr. Sforza, he runs for his niece, Angelina Sforza, who sadly passed away due to childhood cancer at three years old, “What my family, especially my brother and sister-in-law, had to go through with the loss of a child, a niece, a cousin – no family should ever have to endure that. As you can see, this cause is personal for me, and I support any awareness we can bring to help find a cure and assist families going through this ordeal.”
This year’s event course began in Ridgewood, marking a shift from previous years when the event started in Saddle Brook. Runners raced back and forth for a combined distance of 3 miles. Overall, the trails were quite similar to one another. However, Dr. Sforza observed that the new trail was easier to navigate, although it became somewhat crowded since runners had to share the same narrow path in both directions. Mr. Dorsey also notes that, “The venue change seemed to draw a vibrant crowd,” which also seems to have led to more spirited competition as a few of the faculty mentioned that they had a harder time winning titles this year. For example, Mr. Geraghty remarks that while last year he won the entire race, “This year Mr. Parillo showed Becton who’s boss by being our top performer of the day!”
Cancer is unpredictable. It can happen without warning– leaving gaping holes in its wake. It’s especially heartbreaking when it happens to a child; therefore, it is so important that we all work together to do anything we can to help. Dr. Sforza concludes by paying tribute to his dearly departed niece. “To our Little Angelina, you are original and can never be replaced. Your memory keeps our legs moving and our hearts full of hope.”
There is still time to donate through our Becton Pack page. Use link: https://runsignup.com/thebectonpack
