12th Reebok road race pays big dividends to community
By Mike Berger
Young runners eagerly await the start of the race on the Reebok track. (Mike Berger photo)
Everyone came up a winner as the 12th annual Reebok Canton Road Race drew nearly 700 runners from all over the Greater Boston area Sunday morning, September 25.
The race was held at Reebok headquarters on a sunny, slightly windy, 50-degree day and was hosted by the Canton Association of Business and Industry (CABI).
CABI President Howard Goldman of Humbolt Storage & Moving estimated the event raised $60,000, and of that amount $40,000 will be returned to the Canton community with proceeds benefitting the Canton food pantry, Canton fire and police departments, Pappas Rehabilitation Center (formerly Mass. Hospital School), and scholarship money for Canton High and Blue Hills Regional Technical School students.
In 12 years, the event has raised over $600,000 with 80 percent returned to the Canton community
Sixteen corporate sponsorships generated $40,000, and Goldman said he is pleased corporate interest is growing each year. This year’s two Platinum Sponsors were Boston Mutual Life Insurance Co. and City of Boston Credit Union.
Louis and Lauren Raffetto both took 2nd in their respective races.
Steve Cessa of Computershare, one of the original corporate sponsors, said he looks forward to the race every year and described it as a “fun, family event.”
Selectman Victor Del Vecchio said CABI is very important to the town and agreed with Goldman and Cessa that the town has a unique, positive relationship with CABI in promoting Canton as a business-friendly community.
As for the race itself, there were a lot of Canton connections. Ryan Gwaltney of Canton won the 5K, which drew over 400 runners. Gwaltney ran a very fast time of 17:46 over the 3.1-mile course. Fourteen-year-old Filitsa Siokas, of Dedham, was the first female runner to finish the 5K with an impressive time of 20:12. Her father, Kostas, operates Canton Center Pizza.
Louis Rafetto, a former winner of both the Reebok 5K and the July Fourth Canton road race, finished second in the 10K with a time of 35:01.
Canton Parks and Recreation Director Janet Maguire and Assistant Director Nick Pirelli ran the youth fun run (children 10 and under), and wheelchair races at the Reebok track and were assisted by members of the CHS boys cross country team, who handed out sticks signifying laps.
See this week’s Canton Citizen for a list of top race finishers.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=34375
Posted by Mike Berger
on Sep 30 2016. Filed under Business.
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