Brian's Gift Road Race set for Sept. 30
By Sam Parker

Brian Simmons

On your mark, get set. Go! The second annual Brian's Gift Road Race is set to begin behind Ashburnham's Town Hall on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Organizing the race has not been hard for Dan Dufour due to great support from family members.

"Our family assigns roles to help get the race in order so as each role is accomplished the more the race begins to come together." Dufour said.

Dufour, a physics teacher at Oakmont, was a cousin of Brian Simmons and felt the race was a way to remember him after a drunk driver killed Simmons on July 26, 2003, in Worcester.

"Brian was competitive through sports. He made you want to be better at what you were doing." Dufour explained.

Last year the race featured more than 60 runners and raised $4,000 for youth soccer. That was nearly double the estimated turn out.

Brian loved children and had a very compassionate heart, Brian's father George Simmons said. For this reason he hopes to have 100 runners in this year's road race and to raise $5,000 to support "Kids Against Hunger".

"If every dollar raised creates four meals then we have an opportunity said.

Brian, an Ashburnham-native, was 23 when he was hit by a drunk driver. Brian was a 1998 graduate of Oakmont Regional High School and a 2003 graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

The course routes are slightly different than last year's route, starting behind town hall near the police and fire stations then loop on to Route 101 to swing up along Stowell Road, passing by the Simmons' home where Brian grew-up, before returning to the starting area.

This is to make the distances more precise. Simmons added that he had thought about changing the race from September to June but ultimately decided against it.

"Fall is the best time for runners," he said.

This year the race will begin at 9 a.m. with a grand Kid Fun Run.

Following the fun run will be the fourmile walk & road race is scheduled to start at 10:45a.m. The five-mile road race starts at noon.

Prizes and medals can be won for each divisional winner of the race.

In addition to the race there will be a silent and Chinese auction with crafts from local artists along with food, music and raffles.

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Sam Parker is 2006 graduate of Oakmont Regional High School and a student at Mount Wachusett Community College. He resides in Ashburnham with his parents.