Q&A: Nearly Cancelled, FBE’s Apple Run Found A Way To Start The Race

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Photo: The FBE Apple Run is underway

The start of the Foundation for Belmont Education’s Apple Run 5K/2K race is … anytime the runners want it to be.

From today, Friday, Oct. 2 until midnight, Oct. 12, participants will take to the 3.1 mile course racing against each other virtually due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic. Runners are racing in a number of traditional individual time categories in addition to team contests, best costumes and a slowest racer competition.

Race registration here

Read the latest information on the race here

With the Brendan Home Run ending in 2019, the Apple Run – formerly the Dan Scharfman 5K – is the largest athletic event in Belmont in sponsored by the Foundation in support of technology at the Belmont public schools.

Paul Roberts, this year’s race director, talks to the Belmontonian about transforming the race into a virtual contest and way it was important to have it take place despite all the external pressures no to.

Question: The FBE Apple Run 5K/2K is the largest athletic event in Belmont and one of the Foundation’s major fundraisers. What were your plans as race director for the second running of the race when the pandemic put a halt to all large gatherings back in March?

Roberts: When COVID first hit, we weren’t even in the planning stages for the 2020 race yet. FBE was actually ramping up for its annual Spring Gala, which is our biggest fundraiser, and which ended up getting cancelled. At the time I remember thinking that ‘surely things will have sorted themselves out by October’ and that we’d be able to do the race per usual: in person, sponsor booths, Donna Ognibene’s workout, DJ Paul Madden, the whole bit. That turned out not to be the case, however. 

Question: Was there ever a thought of cancelling the event like so many other organizations did?

Roberts: We did discuss cancelling the event, of course, or postponing it. A couple of things pointed us towards a virtual event. First: the race is an outdoor event and one that – just looking at the race piece of it – doesn’t require face to face or close contact. Second: we had seen other yearly race events “go virtual,” so we knew that was an option. Finally, we really felt like it was important to the community to keep this fall tradition alive. We understood that it was going to be a different year, regardless. But we felt like the more we could do to keep things the same, the better. With that in mind: we decided to plan for a virtual event and even to stick to our Couch to 5K program, though in virtual format, also.

Question: So when and how did the virtual race concept started in earnest?

Roberts: I’d say the virtual event was on the table all along. We had a kick off meeting back in the May timeframe and basically the three options were: cancel, do some form of in-person event (circumstances allowing) or do a virtual event. What we did then was to reach out to the Town Administrator Patrice Garvin and Wesley Chin at Belmont Health Department and get their thoughts on the feasibility of an in person event: whether we might do a smaller event or whether we could structure the day of in such a way to keep people physically distanced. Essentially the guidance was: no races of any size until we have a vaccine. We were pretty sure that wasn’t going to be October, so at that point we made a commitment to doing the run virtually.

Question: What has been the response from the community? 

Roberts: The response has been tremendous. We had 340 runners as of Thursday, which is far above what we were expecting. The Foundation has also been really touched by the continued support of our sponsors:

  • CitySide Subaru, our Platinum Sponsor again this year,
  • Belmont Orthodontics, 
  • Shant Banosian/Guaranteed Rate, 
  • John Rogaris,
  • Belmont Center Business Association,
  • Belmont Chinese American Association.

Donna Ognibene at Triogo stepped up and will record a virtual workout for all our runners. These are very difficult time for small businesses and families, so this support has been really inspiring. 

Question: You have included a few special extras to the race.

Roberts: We decided to take advantage of the virtual format to have some fun with our prizes. Because runners have 10 days to do the race, rather than an hour, we wanted to recognize and celebrate all the fun and funky ways people can do the Apple Run – running it multiple times, running it in a funny costume (not exactly a new thing), doing the race slooowly and so on. We’re also going to be celebrating runners all through the week on social media.

Question: Explain the importance of the race to the technology fund and also as a community event during a pandemic. 

Roberts: The Apple Run has become one of the Town’s biggest annual events and one of the FBE’s most popular traditions. The race has raised more than $150,000 for the FBE and its Innovative Teaching Initiative. With all of the challenges and new costs that COVID has created for the community and our public schools, having an organization like the FBE becomes even more important. We think its critical right now to provide a bit of normalcy for the community. We’re really looking forward to seeing Apple runners out on the streets in the coming days! 

Register Now For the FBE Apple Run 5K Or The 2K Or Both

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Photo: Poster on the fence outside Harris Field where the race starts and finishes.

In spite of COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Foundation for Belmont Education Apple Run 5K/2K will be run this year … with a bit of a different setup.

Unlike past years where all the runners would take off at the same time and place on Harris Field, this year each runner will run the same course but all at different times.

With 2020 being a virtual event, the races will be run during a window that opens on Oct. 2 and closes at the end of the day on Oct. 12.

  • Participants who wish to be eligible for prizes must run the Apple Run 5K or 2K routes during that 10-day window. Participants submit a GPS file or link from Garmin, Strava or other fitness trackers for verification.
  • Participants who do not wish to be considered for a prize can run any 5K or 2K route during that period.
  • The 5K course can be found here and the 2K course here. During October 2-12, to submit your times and/or photo, click here.

The Foundation will place signs at the start/finish line as well as the standard course markers. Further, we plan to have a finish line and photo area set up at the track to help support running the race on your own time.

RUN AS A VIRTUAL TEAM!

As in past years, the Foundation welcomes team registrations for the 5K run. As well as the prizes above, participants in a team are eligible to win:

  • Fastest Team 5K *
  • Largest Team 5K

*   Fastest combined time for top 5 team members for male, female, and mixed (mixed must contain at least 2 females). 

How running as a team virtually can work:

  • Run together as a family team
  • Run together as a grouping of individuals who have been quarantining together
  • Members of virtual teams consisting of individuals who have NOT been quarantining together should run the race individually, but register under the same team name.
  • The Racewire platform will compile team results and standings from individuals who designate they are members of a given team.

PRIZES:

A virtual event creates the opportunities to have some fun with awards and results. For the 2020 Virtual Apple Run awards will be granted in the following categories, with prizes delivered to the winner’s address or sent via mail.

  • Fastest Male and Female 5K
  • Fastest Male and Female Combined (5K + 2K)
  • Fastest Male and Female 5K – 12 and Under
  • Fastest Male and Female 2K – 12 and Under
  • Fastest Couch-2-5K participant*
  • Slowest 5K
  • Fastest Reverse 5K (run the course in reverse)
  • Most Times Run the 5K Course
  • Most Festive Running Outfit: Male and Female
  • Best Finish Line Photo

Please note, we will not have police or public safety monitors on the course. The Foundation for Belmont Education urges participants to follow all rules for social distancing and to beware of street traffic when running the course.

The Foundation is thankful that amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we can continue to support our town’s public schools and students through our annual fall events.

For more information about the Foundation for Belmont Education and the Apple Run, please visit its website at www.fbe-belmont.org/run. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

The FBE APPLE RUN Is Less Than Only Two Weeks Away

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Photo: The race is underway.

The newly named Foundation for Belmont Education’s APPLE RUN 5K (3.1 miles) and 1 mile races will be held on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 9:30 am starting at the Belmont High School Track at Harris Field.

REGISTER NOW! Free race shirts for the first 500 registrants.

Join your friends, family, neighbors, classmates and teammates at this great community event! Run, walk, or stroll as an individual or register with a team.

Last year, more than 800 runners from Belmont and across the Bay State raised $25,000 to support education in Belmont, helping the Foundation for Belmont Education make a difference in the Belmont Public Schools.

And this race will include the FBE APPLE RUN SEGMENT CHALLENGE! Awards will be given for the fastest runners up Orchard Street (https://www.strava.com/segments/21336383) and down Goden Street (https://www.strava.com/segments/21336407).

RUNNING NOT FOR YOU? Learn about volunteer opportunities and donation options at www.fbe-belmont.org/run.

REGISTER/VOLUNTEER/DONATE

We greatly appreciate the support of our event sponsors:

  • CitySide Subaru
  • Belmont Orthodontics
  • Didricks | Local Root Belmont
  • Dental Restorative Group

FBE’s Inaugural Apple Run Set For Sunday,​ October 6

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Photo: Let’s run for education.

The Foundation for Belmont Education is excited to announce the FBE Apple Run!

For six years, Belmont residents have honored the late resident and School Committee member Dan Scharfman by participating in a special fall event, the Dan Scharfman Memorial Run. However, as the seventh year of the run approaches, the Scharfman family has asked for this event to focus solely on education in Belmont.

In keeping with the family’s request, the Foundation for Belmont Education is announcing the FBE Apple Run, which will take place on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019.

“We have been honored to celebrate Dan’s legacy,” said Christa Bauge, FBE president. “In six years, we have raised more than $150,000 to help Belmont’s Public Schools invest in professional development for teachers and school technology, two of Dan’s passions as a School Committee member. Going forward, and with the blessing of the Scharfman family, we are going to take these goals and run with them,” said Bauge.

“We’re thrilled with the success our annual, fall run has enjoyed in the last six years. The FBE Apple Run will continue as an amazing opportunity for Belmont and the larger running community to challenge themselves and celebrate public education,” said Paul Roberts, race director of the FBE Apple Run.

In addition to the name change, the FBE has made modifications to the routes of both the 5K race and the new 1-mile race to accommodate construction of the new Belmont Middle and High School. The new route will maintain a scenic route through Belmont, followed by music, fun, and festivities at Harris Field.

Registration for the inaugral FBE Apple Run is now open at fbeapplerun.racewire.com and registration for the FBE Apple Run Couch to 5K Program is also open for sign up when you register for the race.

For additional information about the FBE Apple Run, the Apple Run Couch to 5K Program, and the Foundation for Belmont Education, please visit www.fbe-belmont.org.

Thank you for your continued support of the Foundation for Belmont Education. Together, we are making a difference in the Belmont Public Schools.

The Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE) is a non-profit, independent, charitable organization run by volunteers dedicated to improving educational opportunities for Belmont’s children and teachers. The FBE awards grants for a diverse array of projects—from small grants that benefit a single classroom to large programs sponsored by multiple teachers designed to benefit students in an entire grade or school. Thanks to donations from thousands of Belmont residents and businesses, the FBE donates an average of $250,000 annually to the Belmont Public Schools, granting close to $4.0 million to date.

Belmont Road Closures During Scharfman 5K On Sunday, Sept. 30

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Photo: I Ran the Dan on Sunday.

As part of the sixth annual running of the Dan Scharfman 5K taking place at 9:30 a.m., Sunday morning, Sept. 30, the following road closings to ensure the safety of the runners and other participants:

  • 6 a.m. – noon: No Parking on East/West side of Concord Avenue between Cottage and Underwood;
  • 6 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: No Parking on Goden Street between School Street and Concord Avenue;
  • 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: School Street closed between Myrtle Street and Philip Road;
  • 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: No exit onto Oakley from Selwyn and Hurd;
  • Between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.: Drivers should be aware of runners on the 5K course (Concord Ave / Orchard Road / Stone Road / School Street / Philip / Elizabeth Road / Jacob / Payson / Oakley / Goden / Concord / Underwood); and
  • Between 10:45 am and 11 a.m.: Concord Ave Westbound will have young runners in the bike lane running against traffic between Underwood and Goden. Cones will separate runners from traffic.

The Foundation for Belmont Education thanks the residents of Belmont and the Belmont Police Department for their support of the Dan Scharfman Memorial Run and appreciates the community’s understanding of the disruption in normal traffic patterns.  

The Scharfman Run takes place from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Belmont High School Track, 221 Concord Ave., and takes a scenic route past the town’s schools, Payson Park Reservoir and Clay Pond. Interested participants can register the day of the race at the Belmont High School Track. 

Proceeds from the Run enable the FBE to fund new programs in the Belmont Public School system and give educators and students the best tools, technology, and training to foster innovation and love of learning. 

Foundation Honors 2018 Outstanding Teachers May 1 At The Chenery

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Photo: Brian Dunn, the 2018 S. Warren Farrell Award Honoree.

A ceremony to honor the Foundation for Belmont Education’s recipients of the 2018 Outstanding Teacher and the S. Warren Farrell Awards will be held on this afternoon, Tuesday, May 1, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School. The award celebration, sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank Foundation, is open to the public.

The teachers, who were selected among nominations submitted by students, parents, colleagues, and community members, were recognized for their excellence in the classroom and for consistently making a difference in the lives of Belmont’s students. The S. Warren Farrell Award for Educational Excellence recognizes a teacher for longstanding dedication and leadership in Belmont’s public schools.

The teachers were informed of their awards with surprise visits in their classrooms on Friday April  from Superintendent John Phelan and FBE President Christa Bauge.

The honorees include:

  • Colleen Cox, Burbank Elementary School, Kindergarten “Learning, discovery and experimentation are sources of joy in her classroom – much more valued than showing what you know or meeting arbitrary standards.”

  • Erin Gillies-Thibeault, Winn Brook Elementary School, Grade 1 “Ms. Gillies-Thibeault instills in her students the importance of trying hard, putting forth full effort, and not being afraid to make mistakes.”

  • Denise LaPolla, Chenery Middle School, Special Education “Denise LaPolla is the epitome of what excellent teaching must be in our world today. It is because of her support, her warmth, and her care for each individual that she is able to promote an atmosphere where a student is driven to learn and to achieve.”

  • Catherine Larkin, Belmont High School, Fine Arts, Ceramics “Ms. Larkin makes every student feel like they have worth and that their individual creativity is remarkable.”

  • Ted Trodden, Butler Elementary School, Physical Education “Mr. Trodden is anything but typical, he’s exceptional. Not many teachers have an impact on every child at a school, but Mr. Trodden has a positive influence on every Butler kid.”

  • Christina Westfall, Wellington Elementary School, Grade 4 “In a large classroom she is able to treat each child as an individual learner and recognize the talents and aptitudes of each.”

The 2018 S. Warren Farrell Award Honoree is Brian Dunn, Belmont High School, Foreign Language, Latin and longtime Girls’ Cross Country and Track coach. “My child would come home and tell me about thoughtful conversations that would begin with Latin, but would grow in magnitude to something bigger – how to treat people, how to be ambitious, how you must try something you’re afraid of or you won’t have the joys that only challenges can bring.”

For more information about this event or the Foundation for Belmont Education, please visit www.fbe-belmont.org or contact ota@fbe-belmont.org.

There’s Still Time To Nominate Educators For Outstanding Teacher Awards

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Photo:(from left) Janice Darius, Assistant Superintendent, BPS; Jennifer Pressey, 2017 OTA Honoree; and Danielle Betancourt, Principal, Butler Elementary School.

You have 10 days left to nominate a Belmont educator for the Foundation of Belmont Education’s Outstanding Teacher Awards. The awards are proudly sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank Foundation.

Belmont parents and community members, Belmont Public School colleagues, and high school and middle school students have until March 31 to submit nominations for teachers – of any grade, subject, or specialty – who deserve this special recognition.

To be eligible for nomination, a teacher must:

  • Have completed three consecutive years teaching in the Belmont Public Schools and currently teach in the Belmont public schools
  • Teach students on a regular basis (40% of the time)

Based on nominations from the community, teachers from Belmont’s six schools are chosen for this award. Each award winner will be honored, first at a surprise celebration at their school, and then at a district-wide awards ceremony to be held on Tuesday, May 1 at the Chenery Middle School.

Nominate an Outstanding Teacher Today! 

Nomination Criteria and Online Nomination Form (submit before March 31):
www.belmontsavings.com/FBEOutstandingTeacher

For more information:
www.fbe-belmont.org/outstandingteacher

Questions?
ota@fbe-belmont.org

A Quarter Century Of Enrichment: FBE Celebrates Silver Anniversary March 17

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Photo: Poster of the big event.

For a quarter-century, the Foundation for Belmont Education has been raising funds for programs to enrich the Belmont public schools. In those 25 years, more than 5,100 families and businesses have made 24,000 gifts to the Foundation totaling $3.5 million financing 700 projects that include artist residencies, hands-on learning, purchase of computer tablets and much more.

The Foundation invites all residents to join it on Saturday, March 17 from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Belmont Hill School to celebrate 25 YEARS OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE, a special night filled with music, an exciting auction, and community-building, all in the name of education excellence in the Belmont Public Schools.

Early ticket pricing for the Silver Anniversary Fundraiser ends WEDNESDAY NIGHT, Feb. 28, so purchase your tickets today!

Purchase Tickets or Make a Donation

Top Ten Reasons to Celebrate with the Foundation on March 17.

  1. Recognize an organization that has given more than $3.5 million to the Belmont Public Schools
  2. Bid on one-of-a-kind experiences in Boston and beyond
  3. Shed your casual clothes and dress up
  4. Participate in the Silent Auction
  5. Have a date night or a night out with friends
  6. Celebrate Foundation grants and enrichment programs
  7. Bid on tickets to one of Broadway’s hottest shows when it comes to Boston this fall
  8. Find out who wins the $1,000 cash raffle prize
  9. Toast the Foundation for 25 great years of enriching the Belmont Public Schools
  10. Have a great time!

Questions about the FBE Annual Fundraiser? fundraiser@fbe-belmont.org

A Window Into Halloween In Belmont Center

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Photo: Third-grader Julia Zipkin with a four-eyed cat.

Kids and their parents brought brushes and watercolors to the fifth annual Belmont Center Halloween Window Painting Contest sponsored by the Belmont Center Business Association on Saturday, Oct. 28. 

Belmont Center businesses up and down Leonard Street saw their windows transformed into pumpkin patches, ghostly havens and other scenes of specters and ghouls by Kids from second to eighth grade – with parents in tow – paid for the privilege to express their scary vision of Halloween on the town’s main drag. 

Halloween-season window painting has a long tradition in other towns – several of Newton’s villages have participated for the past 20 years – and was brought to Belmont with the help of the owners of A Chocolate Dream.

Sponsored by the Business Association, the event’s proceeds were donated to the Foundation for Belmont Education.

Don’t Bee Left Behind: Registration for Annual Spelling Bee Closes Oct. 20

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Photo: A kindergarten team at last year’s event.

Bee prompt bee for it’s too late!

Register now for the Foundation for Belmont Education’s annual Spelling Bee! There are very few spaces left for teams to participate in the contest taking place on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Chenery Middle School beginning at 2 p.m. The Bee is open to all students in grades K-6 and is an exciting event for students, family, and friends.

It’s time to get ready create a team, pick a creative name, and coordinate your costumes. 

Expected Spelling Times

  • K-2nd Grades: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
  • 3rd and 4th Grades: 4 p.m. – 6  pm 
  • 5th and 6th Grades: 6 p.m. – 8:30 pm 

Registration

Online registration is available at www.fbe-belmont.org/bee. Registration is completed at the individual speller level, but a team name and the names of all team members are required before an individual can register.

Space for this popular event is limited and often fills before the Friday, Oct. 20 registration deadline. Please register with your team as soon as possible to secure a spot.

Volunteer

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at the Bee, view the volunteer and sign-up HERE.

For more information, to register, and to view the 2017 word lists, visit the FBE website at: www.fbe-belmont.org/bee. Need assistance? Email beemaster@fbe-belmont.org.