After an exciting, rewarding, rain soaked day, social studies teacher Mr. Joe Beaudet completed his 24 hour Run for 2 Causes! From 3pm on Friday, September 22nd to 3pm on Saturday, September 23rd, Mr. Beaudet ran the track around Stanner Field, raising awareness for runner safety in memory of Karina Vetrano ‘04, as well as increasing knowledge of pediatric cancer in memory of Kaitlyn Mendoza ‘22. Throughout the 24 hours, members of the Molloy community walked or ran alongside Mr. Beaudet, or cheered him on from the sidelines, as he maintained constant, perpetual forward motion!
At the start of the event, over one hundred students, faculty, family, and friends lined the track to watch as Mr. Beaudet ran the first lap with Karina’s parents. Phil Vetrano ‘74 held Karina’s running shoes in his hand, bringing her with him on his run. After the first lap, students rushed the track to run alongside Mr. Beaudet, showing a massive wave of support.
For the first few hours, members of both Kaitlyn’s and Karina’s families walked the track while talking to students and faculty. Katlyn’s mother, Liz Hunter, spoke to Alumni Development Officer Rebecca Wagner ‘14, saying that although it was hard to be back at Molloy without her daughter, seeing the community come out to support her scholarship and honor her memory meant the world. “Kaitlyn was a fighter who through it all always had a smile on her face,” Liz commented. In memory of Kaitlyn being a star athlete, Molloy’s tennis team accompanied the Mendoza family for a portion of the run, walking in solidarity to show their support. Liz was beyond grateful to Mr. Beaudet for doing the run, fondly reminiscing about not only the impact Kaitlyn had on him, but also the impact Mr. Beaudet had on Kaitlyn, especially throughout her treatment. In an effort to raise money for Molloy’s Kaitlyn Mendoza Fund, the tennis team also hosted a bake sale while putting 100% of their profits into the scholarship fund. Mr. Beaudet is incredibly grateful to Kaitlyn’s family for coming to the event, acknowledging how hard the process of returning to Molloy must have been, but he is glad that he could share these moments with them.
Dr. Glade Bender, the pediatric oncologist who was Kaitlyn’s doctor, also attended the run with the Mendoza family and was pleasantly surprised to see so many people coming out to show their support. Dr. Bender noted that often pediatric cancers present very different from adult forms of it and urges parents to step up and speak up for their kids if they feel something isn’t right, the way Liz did for Kaitlyn. That kind of action can make all the difference when it comes to catching the disease early. It is her hope through the Kaitlyn Mendoza Scholarship that young female students get the opportunity to come to Molloy and enjoy their experience the way Kaitlyn did while finding their own path.
Even though it began to rain around 3am on Saturday, Mr. Beaudet was not deterred. “It was just something I had to deal with, something that became a part of the event. There was not a moment where I considered stopping.” The rain did not deter support, either! Many members of Molloy’s faculty, as well as family and friends, joined Joe on the track through the rain.
The 24 Hour Run for 2 Causes raised over $15,000 for both Karina and Kaitlyn’s scholarships! Mr. Beaudet ran a total of 440 laps around Stanner Field, totaling 88 miles. Out of all those miles, Mr. Beaudet never went a moment without someone running at his side. “I anticipated the monotony of running the track would be difficult, but I quickly realized that wouldn’t be the case,” shared Joe. “I was always supported, always with someone.” He said that the fundraiser brought out the best of Molloy and its family spirit, and even though his feet and legs started to feel sore during hour eight, the sense of camaraderie and respect kept him going!
Mr. Beaudet is exceedingly grateful to everyone who joined him in supporting these two amazing scholarships. “I want to thank Karina and Kaitlyn’s families for coming to the run, even under such difficult circumstances.” He also appreciates Molloy’s Stanner Alumni Center, GERLL Club, Tennis Team, Social Studies Department, and everyone else that supported him, and in turn supported the two funds. However, the event being over doesn’t mean support for the causes needs to end! Each scholarship gives an amazing female student the opportunity to attend Molloy, and so donations are always welcome any time.
To see photos from the event, visit our Flickr Album
To donate, visit www.molloyhs.org/24hourrun/