GNAC Student-Athletes To Volunteer At The 6th Annual Brian J. Honan 5K Road Race

By Melissa Maitland

GNAC Sports Information Specialist

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference will continue its tradition of volunteering at The 6^th Annual Brian J. Honan 5K Road Race, which is scheduled for Sunday, September 20^th at noon.  Last year over 100 GNAC student-athletes volunteered at the Brian Honan 5K by directing people to the parking lots, registering the more than 1000 runners, cutting oranges, carrying ice, and supporting runners and walkers along the three mile course.

The Emmanuel College men's and women's cross country and track and field teams are a staple at the Brian Honan 5K each year.  Head Coach Tony DaRocha stated, "Our team looks forward every year to helping out at the Brian Honan Race.  It is our first opportunity of the school year to work as a collective group.  We feel that it is very important to give back to the community and we know that this race provides a lot of assistance for various groups.  We appreciate the assistance we get when we compete so it is nice to be able to provide help to others as well.  Every year we try to get more and more of our student-athletes out there volunteering at different community events and the Brian Honan Race is by far our most successful turn out."

It is this type of charitable work that earned the Emmanuel College cross country and track and field teams the 2009 Student Affairs Award, which is presented yearly to a club, organization, team, class, or group of students at Emmanuel who enhanced the quality of life at the college or in the surrounding community.

Another team that will be lending a hand at the Brian Honan 5K is the Suffolk University women's soccer team.  Head Coach Ernst Cleophat said, "My players volunteer to participate in the Brian Honan 5K Road Race because it is a great cause, and they are learning a lot more than just competing for a Championship, they are learning about life.  As I always share with them, when you help others you help yourself."

With athletes and teams from several other GNAC member institutions posed to volunteer at this year's event, race director Richard Grealish believes that public service opportunities like this allow student-athletes the chance to become a part of the community.  "Many students live in Allston-Brighton and the surrounding areas, and turning out let's them see that Allston-Brighton is more than just a place where college students live.  They see couples, families, and senior citizens along the race route," said Grealish. 

Brian Honan was a teacher, an athlete, a prosecutor and a city councilor who believed in giving ordinary people the chance to live extraordinary lives.  Following his passing in 2002 at the young age of 39, the Brian J. Honan Charitable Fund was created to carry on his legacy.  All proceeds from the Brian Honan 5K benefit the Charitable Fund, as well as the scholarship funds of both the Allston and Brighton Boards of Trade.

State Representative Kevin Honan, Brian's older brother, stated that "the Brian Honan Road Race is a way for our family and our community to continue Brian's legacy as a public servant who cared deeply about our city of Boston.  This race is a great tribute to Brian's memory as the profits go to the causes he championed:  youth services, housing, and local Allston-Brighton services."

Brian Honan was involved with the West End House Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA, and the Boston Public Library throughout his life.  These are just a few of the many non-profit organizations that benefit from the Charitable Fund and the Brian Honan 5K.

According to race director Grealish, the Brian Honan 5K continues to grow in terms of participation and support each year.  This year's family-friendly run/walk begins and ends at The Kells of Boston, located at 161 Brighton Avenue in Allston Village. 
 

For more information please visit http://www.brianhonan.org/ or join the Brian J. Honan 5K group on Facebook.