Students run for a cause

As the thousands participating in the 112th Boston Marathon reached the top of Heartbreak Hill, they were greeted with the fanfare that has come to be expected of the Boston College student body. This year, several students of the BC Campus School and their family members joined the BC community in cheering on the runners to show their support for the Campus School volunteers who were participating in the marathon.

"My race ends at 21 miles - the adrenaline rush I get coming through BC is unbelievable," said Tim Sullivan, co-chair of the BC Campus School Volunteers Marathon Team committee. "One of the greatest feelings in the world is having all the people cheering for you and pulling for you."

Over 130 student volunteers represented the Campus School while running in the marathon, collecting donations that are still coming in and are expected to be in excess of $45,000 in support of the school. For all the students, whether they were running the marathon for the first time or the fourth, there was something extra motivating them to push on toward the finish.

"I don't think any of the kids cheering out there really know how much the runners appreciate it," Sullivan said. "It means a lot for people when you've been in your own head for three hours or so."

The Campus School runners embarked on a grueling 18-week training program beginning in December, slowly progressing to higher mileage and eventually building up to 18- and 21-mile runs as the marathon was just weeks away, all the while attempting to remain injury-free.

"It's inspiring - frankly it blows me away," said Sean Schofield, volunteer coordinator at the Campus School. "It's amazing that people go through such a huge physical ordeal for the Campus School, and we're forever grateful for the effort they put in."

The majority of the money raised from the marathon will go toward purchasing new equipment and maintaining the services offered by the Campus School.

"We can offer a lot more here than other places," Schofield said, "and a lot of that is thanks to the amount of money that the volunteers are able to raise each year."

The BC Campus School, working with the Lynch School of Education, serves students from the ages 3 to 21 with multiple disabilities who often require complex health care needs. The program provides student-centered educational and therapeutic services in a school-based setting.

Throughout the year, student volunteers work with the students of the Campus School, spending time with them and reading to them. Additionally, volunteers organize special events for the children around the holidays and coordinate several other fundraisers such as the broom hockey tournament in February and a golf tournament to be held on May 5 at the Granite Links Golf Course in Quincy, Mass. Last year, between fundraising for the marathon, the broom hockey tournament, and the golf tournament, as well as through donations from the BC Dance Ensemble, the Campus School was able to raise $132,000, a number the volunteers are hoping to top this year.

"We try to involve as many members as we can in the Campus School and give them the opportunity to get to know some of the kids," Sullivan said.

On Friday, students at the Campus School threw a pasta lunch for the runners to thank them for all of their efforts in both fundraising for and participating in the marathon.

"Sometimes it's tough but I know some of the runners came and had a really good time," Sullivan said. "Its really important for the runners to meet the students of the Campus School so that it means something to them and it's not just a random cause."

For Sullivan, who ran in his third marathon on Monday and his second Boston Marathon, it wasn't about the enormity of the accomplishment as much as it was being able to see that look of achievement in his teammates.

"We really wanted to give everyone an opportunity to get together and foster more of a team community between the runners," Sullivan said. "It's been really awesome to see how proud other people are of themselves - and rightfully so. There's been so much devotion - so much commitment."

Ryan McCaffrey, A&S '09, ran the marathon for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, collecting over $18,000 in donations to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where his father was being treated. Prior to his father's diagnosis 11 months ago, the two had planned on running the marathon together. McCaffrey's father passed away before he had the chance to see his son compete in his second marathon, but McCaffrey decided to run it in honor of his father.

"I ran it for my dad because the fight he put up over the last year is awe-inspiring and he's been my hero for my whole life. It was something I wanted to do as a tribute to him."

Throughout the semester and his training, McCaffrey still was able to see his father every week in Boston where he was being treated, sticking it out through injuries and vowing to run on Patriot's Day.

"One thing he always told me was to never ever give up if you think it's worth going for," McCaffrey said. "He never gave up. It shows that if you truly want something you can attain it."