03/10/2026
There I was at 9:45am, Mile 17 at the , with my sign and my loudest cheers for my nephew who was running in honor of his dad (my brother-in-law) Eric Aversa (who we lost in Dec 2025), and the !
But as I tracked his location on the app, and stood there waiting for almost 2 hrs…the unthinkable happened…
I missed him!!
On that Sunday, I realized how even tho I didn’t get to see him at that marker, I found comfort that my sign and my cheers still made an impact…..
- many runners came up and told me things like: ‘I’m running for my mom who has it,” my dad just died from it, thank you!”
- we brought awareness and discussion about , a horrible with over 12,000 cases diagnosed each year
- I saw huge smiles and got some fist bumps from many runners pushing through to finish
I love these types of events because it truly brings people together and a lot can be learned as a spectator and a supporter for not just your loved ones but for all participants in the event!
I urge everyone to experience the joy, gratitude, and positivity that you feel from these types of marathons or events and be part of building community and bearing witness to all these brave runners/walkers!
(And we did finally catch him at Mile 26!!)
Congratulations Raffaele and to all participants!
