Women's Basketball Runs 5K to Support ALS
WORCESTER, Mass.—On Sunday, October 16th, the second day of the Anna Maria College's women's basketball season, the AMCATS traded in their court sneakers for running shoes to run as a team in the Mary Beth Benison Foundation 5K Run at Lake Park in Worcester.
"When Coach told us we were running a 5k on the second day of practice, I was dreading it. I thought we would be too sore and tired to run, but running and finishing the race as a team was an awesome feeling," said senior Emily Capstick (Worcester, Mass.).
Founded in 2016, the Mary Beth Benison Foundation was established to honor the memory of its namesake, who passed away in 2015 after a 15-year battle with ALS and mesothelioma. According to the foundation's website, mbbloves.org, "Her ability to fight and remain strong through this devastating news was inspiring to many."
The Mary Beth Benison Foundation and the 5K race has a special connection to the AMCAT women's basketball program, as Mary Beth and head coach Kevin Bigelow were cousins.
ALS is short for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control muscle movement. People with ALS progressively lose the ability to talk, swallow, walk, move, and breathe.
"I always think it's important to be involved in things bigger then yourself or your small group. It's especially important when you are doing so for a great cause," said Bigelow.
Five-kilometer races are not something that women's basketball players train for, and the AMCAT squad didn't believe their coach when he first told them how they were spending their Sunday morning.
"I don't think that the players thought I was serious when I told them at first, but once we got to the starting line and grabbed our race numbers, it sunk in," said Bigelow.
"Running with the team was fun," said senior Deja Taitt (Cambia Heights, N.Y.). "We built a bond and hope to continue that bond on the court as well."
During the race, people with ALS and their families lined the sidelines to cheer on those running to support them.
"While running the race I saw many people on the sidelines cheering on the Anna Maria women's basketball team. It was a great feeling to know that our team was helping a good cause and in return the team was getting support back from the members of the community," said fellow senior Christina Gauvin (Dudley, Mass.).
Funds raised from the 5K race will support the Foundation's efforts to contribute to medical needs not covered by insurance for local people battling ALS. According to the ALS Association, the average annual cost for caring for a person with ALS is $250,000 and over 5,000 people are diagnosed with the debilitating disease every year.
"It didn't hit me until about the two-mile mark, but you think about ALS and other serious illnesses and it makes you realize how fortunate we are. Not only is the team lucky to be able to get out and run three miles, but we can also be a source of financial and public support," concluded Bigelow, who completed the race alongside the members of the team.
For more information on ALS, visit alsa.org. To contribute to the Mary Beth Benison Foundation, visit mbbloves.org.
