By A.J. Mercincavage
Nearly 200 local college students banded together with more than 100 longtime Mission Hill residents Saturday for the sake of a neighborhood park.
Despite menacing clouds and rain, runners participated to support Kevin W. Fitzgerald Park, a 5.5-acre recreation area, during the Third Annual Mission Hill Road Race. The park, near the Brigham Circle T stop, offers green space in the city, with a view of the Prudential skyline. Before the start, participants lined on dreary St. Alphonsus Street as the park’s steel archway was unveiled to commemorate the community race.
“[The race] is about the school coming together and making a connection to the community,” said Vanessa Sayajon, a middler international affairs major, who helped organize the students in the event. “And we had a lot of people brave Mother Nature here today.”
Sayajon created a Facebook event posting for the race, which helped to secur 34 volunteers. However, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Northeastern’s rival in the race, traditionally has a higher turnout. In the last two road races, Wentworth has won the Pudding Pot, an award given to the college with the most participants. But before an announcement for the prize, the students had to hustle.
The soaked runners tackled the steep 5k course through the heart of Mission Hill, passing neighborhood homes and playgrounds as volunteers guided them.
All runners and volunteers donated $15 toward Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services (MHNHS).
City Councilor Mike Ross, who acts as a voice for the permanent residents of Mission Hill, bared a smile for the race.
“This is classic Mission Hill,” Ross said of the attendees overcoming the weather. “The residents here have a fighting spirit.”
Ross flew into Boston that morning to run with fellow neighborhood activists.
“[I]t was great to see young people join in a community activity,” he said. “Running alongside them makes you realize the potential that’s out there.”
Sayajon, a co-op assistant to the Office of Government Relations and Community Affairs at Northeastern, worked with the university administration to sponsor the event.
The Center for Community Service, along with Off-Campus Services and Sayajon’s Facebook event, gathered 89 Northeastern runners and volunteers. Participants included members of Kappa Sigma, Pi Delta Psi, Sigma Beta Rho, Barkada, Track and Field and the Student Government Association (SGA).
The turnout put Northeastern at a competitive stance for the coveted Pudding Pot. But Northeastern fell slightly short, losing the annual prize to Wentworth’s 96 participants.
Northeastern officials, including Gale Olyha, associate dean and director of student centeraActivities, remained positive.
“It’s shouldn’t be all about prizes,” she said. “We just about doubled last year’s participation.”
SGA President Joey Fiore ran the Mission Hill 5K for the first time this year with other members of SGA’s elected board.
“It was much hillier than I expected,” Fiore said of the many inclines on the Mission Hill course. “But it was great to have the residents and students come together. Hopefully we can get more students here next year.”
Money collected from participants and volunteers will benefit Kevin W. Fitzgerald Park, rededicated last November in name of the longtime Massachusetts State Representative and Sergeant-at-Arms of the Massachusetts State House. During Fitzgerald’s public service, he strove to increase healthy activity among Boston’s youth by founding the Children’s Caucus and the Health Start Program, co-founding the Sport in Society’s Urban Youth Program, and helping form the Boston Youth Sports Congress.
An MHNHS representative announced this year’s proceeds would be used to increase security at the park and pay for a new pathway.
