Just days after beloved Boston Marathoner and barrier-breaking wheelchair user Rick Hoyt died, a grieving Hoyt family went ahead with a Memorial Day weekend road race intended to honor the other half of the iconic Team Hoyt.
Hundreds attended the first annual Dick Hoyt Memorial "YES YOU CAN" Run Together held Saturday in Hopkinton.
It was a very emotional day for the Hoyt family, who had initially said they were unsure if the race would be postponed following Rick's surprising death last Monday. The Hoyt Foundation said Rick died due to complications with his respiratory system; he was 61.
Rick was born with cerebral palsy that left him as a quadriplegic, though that never stopped him.
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"YES YOU CAN" are the words spoken daily by the Hoyt family, and it was also the mentality that defined Team Hoyt -- the father and son that inspired millions around the world as they competed together in dozens of Boston Marathons and even triathlons, with Dick pushing Rick in his wheelchair.
Rick had spent the last months of his life planning this memorial race for his dad, who died in 2021. According to Rick's brother, Rick was actually the director of Saturday's race -- a role he took very seriously.
The race -- attended by 700 walkers and bikers -- raised $70,000, according to the family, and all of the funds will go toward helping people with disabilities enjoy their lives, including helping
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"For example, we're funding a young woman with down syndrome to become a dancer and a model alongside her non-disabled peers. There's a young man who wanted to learn how to swim at the YMCA with his friends and his disability was preventing it so we're funding a private life guard so he can go to the Y and learn to swim next to his friends. Another young man, we're going to purchase some equipment so that he can participate in competitive horseback riding."
Bruins great Zdeno Chara was one of the participants in the field Saturday, saying he wouldn't miss it.
"Both of them did so much for the running community. Opening up the barriers so it's just the proper way to honor them, their lives and what they've been able to accomplish," the former NHL player said.
For more information on Team Hoyt and the Hoyt Foundation, click here.
