In his 15 years of teaching, Patrick Burke has seen too many students and faculty members lose their lives.
He’s long wanted to find a way for the community to come together and remember them. After he was promoted to assistant principal at Riverhead High School in January, he decided to organize a district-wide event that would do just that.
“As a coach, I always thought a 5k would be a great idea,” Burke said. “It’s about giving the community an opportunity to remember those students and faculty members with honor and respect. It’s a tribute to those people.”
Riverhead’s first annual Run to Remember 5k race, sponsored by the Riverhead Administrators Association, will be held Sunday, May 17. It will begin and end at the Riverhead High School parking lot.
The fee to participate is $20 for early registration (available online) and $25 for day-of registration. All proceeds will go toward Riverhead High School memorial scholarships.
“I went through the list of memorial scholarships and called all the parents I could,” he said. “I must have called about 35 people.”
The response, he says, has been “overwhelming.”
“People are very appreciative that their child will still be honored and remembered,” he said. “It’s so sad after a family goes 10 years without their child… We don’t want to just let those kids’ names fall away.”
He recalled fond memories of Demitri Hampton, who was shot and killed at 21 years old while trying to protect family members during an armed home invasion in 2013.
“Demitri was such a great kid,” said Burke, who had Hampton as a student in his World History class. “One day I was joking around with him that I wanted his shirt – it was an orange shirt. The next day, he came in and gave it to me. I said, ‘Demitri, you don’t have to give me this!’ And he told me he’d gone out and bought another one to give me, he said, ‘So we can match.’ That’s just the kind of kid he was.”
The high school’s gymnasium will be filled with memorial “picture boards” for the event, commemorating Riverhead students and faculty members who have passed away.
Several local businesses and community organizations have also donated goods, money and time for the event.
“There’s not a single person I’ve asked for help that hasn’t said yes,” said Burke.
Port Jefferson Sports discounted its t-shirts for the event, Burke said. Riverhead High School girl’s basketball coach Dave Spinella designed the shirts, which includes the event’s logo and the words “I Remember ____,” where participants can fill in the name of the person they are running in memory of.
“Riverhead is such a blessed community,” Burke said. “In my years of teaching, any time something was asked, people showed up to help.”
A kid’s “Fun Run” race will also be held at the high school for children ages 10 and under.
Awards will be given to the top three male and winner finishers in each age category. Medals or certificates of participation will be given to all the children in the kid’s “Fun Run.”
“This is something I expect will really grow through the years and become quite an event,” Burke said. “It’s something everyone can get into — a way for people to come together and honor those members of the community who are no longer with us.”
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