15th Annual Ian James Eaccarino Memorial
9-Mile Race set in Norwalk
Ginger Katz, CEO and Founder of The Courage to Speak Foundation and author of Sunny’s Story, announced The 15th Annual Ian James Eaccarino Memorial 9-Mile Race, which will take place on Saturday, July 27th at 8:00 am at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, and is promoted by the Lightfoot Running Club.
Ginger and her husband, Larry, have been members of the Lightfoot Running Club for over 30 years and are co-founders of The Courage to Speak Foundation. The race is dedicated to Ian Eaccarino, the son of Ginger and Larry, who passed away after an unfortunate drug overdose. The 9-Mile Race is dedicated to Ian’s memory, as he worked at the beach the summer before he died and personally planted many of the trees that are now aligned with this beautiful beach.
The Courage to Speak Foundation is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1996 whose mission is to save lives by empowering youth to be drug free and parents to communicate effectively with their children about the dangers of drugs. Over the past 17 years, Ginger and Larry together have presented Ian’s story to hundreds of thousands of people across the country and have been recognized on a state and national level for their work.
The Courage to Speak Foundation has developed drug prevention curricula, taught in Connecticut schools and beyond, and Courage to Speak – Courageous Parenting 101® a free course offered in English and Spanish that educates parents on how to keep their children safe from drugs which has been evaluated and recommend by Yale University. Over one thousand parents have attended the program and over 110 facilitators are trained to teach the course throughout Connecticut as well as many other states.
The 15th Annual Ian James Eaccarino Memorial 9-Mile will begin at 8:00 am on Saturday, July 27th, 2013 at Calf Pasture Beach. The race is a wonderful way to bring the community together while promoting a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Last year, 163 runners participated in this extraordinary community race. A plaque was given to Andrew Kramer, 15, visiting from Chicago for crossing the finish line as the youngest participant in the race.
Our sponsors for the race include The Lightfoot Running Club and Norwalk Recreation and Parks Department. But we need more help so that we can continue our important mission. Please consider becoming a sponsor: Platinum Sponsor ($2,500), Gold Sponsor ($1,000), Silver Sponsor ($500), Bronze Sponsor ($250) and Friend of the Race ($100).
For information about sponsoring the race, running in the race and volunteering, please call Ginger Katz at (877) 431-3295 or e-mail gkatz@couragetospeak.org or visit our website www.couragetospeak.org.
