Virtual Event, Real-World Aid

SOME PARTICIPANTS stared down sweltering 90-degree heat while hitting the pavement in downtown Boston. Others cruised past picturesque oceanside vistas. And Jesse Correia and his dog, Gus, alternated between running and cooling off in Houghton’s Pond.

But no matter how the 18 members of Team #WentWorthIt participated in a special run/walk event on June 5, the goal was the same: Raise funds for Wentworth Institute of Technology’s Student Emergency Fund.

Team #WentWorthIt originally came together in 2016 as a group of students, faculty, and staff raising money for the Fund and running 200 miles in the Cape Cod Ragnar Relay. This year, Wentworth organized its own event.

Members participated in different locales individually with a team goal of raising $20,000. Each participant ran or walked between three and 15 miles for a total of 90 miles.

Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs Annamaria Wenner had one of the earliest starts, heading out for her 13-miler at 5:00 a.m. “Pray for my knees!” she joked.

President Mark Thompson and Karyn Thompson were assigned three miles but ended up traversing 4.46. “We did a little extra to help encourage giving a little extra to the Student Emergency Fund,” said President Thompson.

The Thompsons took their walk near the ocean in Ogunquit, Maine, as water became a common theme on this blistering day. Katie Miller, associate director of the Annual Fund, walked near the beach in Scituate, Edie Waldsmith, Physical Plant, ran along Gloucester Harbor, and Kristin Tichenor, vice president for Enrollment Management, ran around the Westboro Reservoir.

Correia escaped the elevated temperatures at Blue Hills Reservation in Milton by taking dips in the pond. “I thought the tree cover would help, but it created a little oven, so I had to switch up locations,” he said. “I literally kept stopping to swim with the pup.”

Like Correia, Director of Marketing Kelly Lin and Assistant Dean of Students Jenn Kosses traveled with their pets. Robbin Beauchamp, director of CO-OPS + CAREERS, Peter Fowler, associate vice president for Student Affairs, Crate Herbert, vice president for Institutional Advancement and External Relations, and Maura Mulligan, associate dean/director of the Center for Wellness, all traveled around their respective

neighborhoods. Hannah Pelletier, head coach of the women’s lacrosse team, conducted her run while on a family trip in a hotel gym.

Other team members stuck to the city. Annual Fund Director Katie DePrimo ran her 13 miles in Charlestown, Assistant Professor Andrew Seredinski kept close to the Wentworth campus, and Assistant Director of Community Development Ryan DePesa traversed downtown Boston and Cambridge.

“I hope that as the mercury is rising in thermometers across New England, so is our donation amount for the Student Emergency Fund,” said DePesa halfway through his run.

With a June 11 deadline to reach $20k, the team reported surpassing the challenge with $20,389.

The Fund provides financial relief for students facing unforeseen challenges, offering modest grants to students who need assistance with expenses including groceries, medical co-pays, books, supplies, and transportation costs. “It feels good,” said Waldsmith, a Wentworth graduate (Building Construction Management ’19), on supporting the Fund.

“It feels good knowing that students in financial need will have this valuable resource available to them.”

After completing her 13-mile goal for the day and then running an additional two miles, Wenner returned home. Proud of her teammates, she noted that there was still work to do.

“Every single penny goes to our students,” she said of the fundraiser. “Everything we do, every single day is for Wentworth students. Thank you for helping us cross the finish line in our goal for the Student Emergency Fund.”