Local firefighters host race for burn victims

In support of local firefighters, over 400 runners gathered on the Tufts campus yesterday morning to participate in the Big City Five and Dime race. The proceeds of the race, in which participants could choose to run either 5.5 or ten miles, will go mostly toward the Shriners Hospital in Boston.

This is the first year for the Big City Five and Dime, which is a joint project of the Somerville and Medford fire departments. The race came about in response to the events of Sept. 11.

"There's a firefighter theme going on around the country. We wanted to help in any way we could," said Jay Colbert, the Union President of Somerville Fire Fighters.

Each runner paid between $18 and $22 to enter the race. The course began and ended at Ellis Oval and went through Somerville and Medford.

The Somerville firefighters felt that a donation to the Shriners Hospital was particularly important this year. There are twenty Shriners Hospitals in the US, though Boston's is dedicated to treating children with severe burns. No child, parent, or third party is billed for treatment at Shriners Hospital, and therefore the hospital depends on donations to continue its service. "9/11 is pretty much covered. Everyone donates to those funds, so other fire-related charities like Shriners have been neglected recently," Colbert said.

Among the volunteers and runners in the race were firefighters and their families from six different states, serious runners training for marathons, and locals supporting their fire departments.

Most participants got involved by searching for races on the Internet or by word of mouth. "My husband's cousin is a Medford firefighter," one woman said. "I really wanted to help support them, even though I don't consider myself a runner."

One serious runner was looking for a ten-mile race online when she came across the Big City Five and Dime. Since it was affiliated with local firemen, she signed up right away. "Everyone loves their firefighters," she said. "We all want to support them."

Many participants became interested in the race for the sport, but committed to it because they were interested in Shriners. "This is one of the more expensive races," one supporter on the sideline said. "I think so many people have turned out because it is affiliated with firefighters and charity."

Boston area running clubs also gathered for the event, wearing group t-shirts and hats. A group of college students was training for the Disney World marathon in January. Other runners were winding down after months of training for the Chicago and New York marathons, which take place in two weeks.

A student from the Boston area, Nancy Huang, signs up for races like this one as often as possible. "I have to motivate myself to run, so I set goals for myself to get better. The fact that this race benefits Shriners makes it even more worthwhile," she said.

Tufts graduate student Anna Tischler also came to take part in the race. "I run about three times a week and try to do races like this one," she said. Tischler is a medical student at the Boston campus.

The Somerville High School band played the national anthem while the runners waited on College Ave. at the starting line. Once the Somerville fire chief gave the "ready, set, go," the racers took off towards Davis Square. The race included a four-mile scenic run along the Mystic River. Fire trucks guarded all the streets surrounding the campus to make it safe for the runners. Area policemen also helped with security and supervision.

"We got a big turnout for the first race," Colbert said. "If this is a big success, we are definitely planning to try it again next year."