10th annual Luce Fun Run set for May 1

For the tenth year, the Dean S. Luce School will sponsor its annual Fun Run on May 1. The event includes two fun runs and a 5K race, which all start from the Luce School at 45 Independence Street.

The day’s events kick off at 10 a.m. with a half-mile fun run on a course around the school for children ages 4 to 8. The second fun run for children ages 9 to 12 starts at 10:30 a.m. and includes two laps on the same course.

The 5K race begins at the entrance to the Luce at 11 a.m. and meanders its way down Independence, Prospect, Sherman, Washington and Pleasant streets before racers cross the finish line back at the Luce.

Community members are invited to cheer runners of the 5K race anywhere along the route, offering support and encouragement. The top finishers in each of the three races receive trophies for their accomplishment. Following the race, participants are invited to enjoy an afternoon barbeque catered by Queen Anne’s Catering.

Luce teachers Maura Hershman and Erin DeYoung first dreamed up the fun run more than a decade ago. Hershman and DeYoung, both runners, approached then Luce School CAPT President Bob Ciccketti with their idea for a fun family event that would also work as a fundraiser for the school.

“As much as we didn’t care if we made any money, we still turned a profit each and every year,” Ciccketti said.

In the past ten years Ciccketti estimates the fun run has raised $50,000. The money raised each year has helped fund a variety of events, including the high school’s all-night graduation party, Music Counts, CAPE, Canton Problem Solvers, teacher stipends, and books for the library.

And as much as the event is organized by community members affiliated with the Luce School, race organizers stress that the fun run is meant to be a town-wide event.

“The Luce Fun Run has become a springtime tradition the entire town looks forward to,” Ciccketti said. “We always emphasize that this is a town-wide event, not just a Luce School event.”

This year’s fun run committee includes Ciccketti, DeYoung, Hershman, Lisa Campbell, Denise Cassidy, Jessica Lloyd, Bridget Wade and Kaitlyn Wroblewski. The committee begins planning the event in January and continues until the day of the race.

And next year the committee will need to fill a large void as Ciccketti steps down from his post after 10 years in charge of the fun run now that his youngest son, Cory, is moving on to the Galvin Middle School.

“The fun run will continue next May with a new group of parents and teachers to pick up where the current committee left off,” Ciccketti said. “Our current committee is really phenomenal to not only work with, but its dedication to the schools of Canton is unsurpassed.”

People who are interested in participating are advised to pre-register. The cost to register for the 5K race is $20, or $22 if registration occurs after April 30 or the day of the race. Additionally, the fun run is $10 for all participants. To pre-register, call Bob Ciccketti at 781-830-9504, or e-mail ciccketti@aol.com. For more information, visit www.lucefunrun.com.

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Posted by Jeffrey Cattel on Apr 14 2011. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.