The Fitzy’s 5K Halloween Event returned on Sunday with what organizers projected to be a record number of participants.
Around 600 people of all ages, many of them costumed, took part in the race beginning and ending at The Stone House in Wyomissing, with more still lingering in the park for food and entertainment before, during and after.
The turnout was wonderful but bittersweet, said Michael Fitzgerald of the annual event held to honor the memory of his daughter Lauren Fitzgerald.
A lifelong Berks County resident, Lauren passed away at the age of 20 in 2005 from complications related to a brain tumor.
The charity, Lauren’s Foundation, has been helping local people with scholarships, financial donations for families and brain tumor research, and organ donor awareness ever since.
“It’s always bittersweet because of why we do it,” Fitzgerald said. “But at the same time we’re able to do more in the community.”
After a one-year hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19 in which the event was held virtually, Fitzy’s 5K Halloween returned for its 17th fundraiser and run.
“It’s just really neat to see how people continue to support us all these years later,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s hard to come up with words to express that.”
Tremendous sacrifices
Prior to the race, Fitzgerald and his wife, Sorita, did try to find the words, thanking sponsors, volunteers and everybody in attendance for honoring the memory of their daughter.
Since 2005, Lauren’s Foundation has raised over $300,000, given 75 scholarships and aided 14 families, according to the nonprofit’s website. Fitzgerald said the organization anticipates it will surpass $100,000 in scholarships alone this coming spring.
He also highlighted the efforts of members of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority at Drexel University, where Lauren was a student. The club makes the trek from the campus in Philadelphia to participate, volunteer or show their support however they can.
“The girls that are here never met Lauren,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s more than 50 of you here. They come out in huge numbers every year.”
Attendees also heard from Waylon Deans, son of Maryann Deans, who was the recipient of Lauren’s lungs after her death.
Maryann Deans has since passed away, but Waylon continues to return to Fitzy’s 5K Halloween to show his appreciation and stress the importance of organ donors.
“Lauren was fortunately signed up to be an organ donor, and it did give her (Maryann) seven more years of wonderful life,” Waylon Deans said. “She was a completely different woman. She could breathe again.
“Please consider becoming an organ donor because although you’re going through a loss, it does give another family a different life.”
Fitzy’s 5K is growing
While so much already has been accomplished in Lauren’s name, the Fitzy 5K Halloween is exhibiting signs of becoming an even bigger deal, Fitzgerald observed.
In addition to the annual costume for adults and kids contest before the race, a children’s Halloween parade was held afterward. Food trucks were on the scene for the first time, adding to the festival atmosphere.
“We used to do the food service ourselves, and the event’s grown to the point where it got to be too much for us,” Fitzgerald said.
With the recent opening of the Drexel University College of Medicine campus in Wyomissing, the school reached out to Lauren’s Foundation and was on hand with activities for kids and information about its programs.
“They actually approached us and said, ‘Hey, we heard about Lauren’s story, we’d like to participate,’” Fitzgerald said.
“We’re talking about doing some things jointly where maybe we can help some students with scholarships.”
Fitzgerald said that as the program continues to expand, he envisions potential donations going to the borough, possibly to build an adaptive playground for special needs children in Wyomissing.
“This would not be possible nor the work we do in the community to support families that need help without your support, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of that,” Fitzgerald said.
Source: Berkshire mont
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