At our core, HMF is committed to help people of all ages and experience levels be active and to foster a welcoming and supportive environment at events. As part of this mission, it’s an honor for us to support a love of running among young people in a variety of ways – all made possible by your donations, grants and sponsor support.
The 25 members of the Maloney High School cross country team in Meriden will benefit from the $2,500 stipend to help pay for supplies they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get. Funds will support team apparel and uniforms, entry costs to other cross country meets, and exercise equipment to help them succeed for years to come. Described by Maloney cross country coach Derek Destefano as a “dream come true for our team”, the stipend helps overcome some limitations due to team size and competition among other school sports to fundraise.
As a coach, my goal is to show student-athletes that anything is possible with the right attitude, commitment and if you believe in yourself.Our student-athletes have a wide range of backgrounds but when we are together, everything at home goes away, even if it’s only for a few hours per day. Our team is likea family. We support one another and grow because we push each other.- Derek Destefano
For Windham High School in Willimantic, the 10 members of the cross country team are using the same 15-year old warm ups that the school cannot fund replacements of. The $2,500 stipend will provide new apparel and support coach Jill Trentham’s efforts to improve student-athletes’ performance by enhancing their experience in running and knowledge associated with the technical aspect of the sport. She has seen that as her athletes gain confidence, they start to improve.
Many times, athletes come to practice with improper footwear simply because they are
unable to afford these costs. Being a member of the cross country team not only
provides students with self-discipline, self-esteem and social skills; it has a positive
effect on success in academics.
- Jill Trentham
Last spring, donations supplied warm-ups and uniforms to the Bulkeley High School Track & Field team to help them proudly represent their school.
The high school program was established through the generosity of Dr. Susan Beris, a Southbury pediatrician and lifelong runner. HMF greatly expanded its platform of youth running programs in 2022 under the umbrella of the Susie Beris, MD Youth Running Program with a mission to build lifelong runners with additional resources and opportunities in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Please consider adding a donation through an upcoming HMF race registration or donating directly HERE.
