More than 1,000 people hit the pavement in memory of a man who meant so much to so many. Saturday marked the the first running of the Governor Paul Cellucci Tribute Road Race.
For his wife, Jan, the event is truly heartwarming. "It's an extraordinary feeling that this many people have registered to walk and run in this race," she said.
The idea for the race came from Cellucci's family, who wanted to honor the former governor's commitment to fund ALS research at UMass Medical School in Worcester. It's the same disease that took his life last year.
"These events help us raise funds to do some of the early stage work," said Dr. Robert Brown, UMass Medical School.
Runners and walkers traveled through Cellucci's hometown of Hudson. Among them was former Governor William Weld and current Governor Deval Patrick.
"You can feel the spirit in the room here and everyone is totally psyched," said Weld.
Each runner and walker received a unique engraved medal for participating in the race.
Politics
Cellucci created the UMass ALS Champions fund after he was diagnosed.
