By Helena McSherry

Dec. 3, 2025: Phenomenal turnout marked the 19th annual Katie Welling Memorial Run/Walk. This cherished Bronxville Thanksgiving tradition, honoring the memory of Katie Welling (Class of 2002), was held both in-person on Saturday, November 29, and offered a virtual option. The event, which benefits the Bronxville School Foundation, drew over 400 participants and donors.

With the help of fifty dedicated community volunteers, the event also honored Tom Welling, Katie's father, who passed away in March 2022. Tom led the planning for Katie’s Run/Walk for fifteen years since its inception in 2007 and was an invaluable friend and asset to the Bronxville community.  

Despite the cold temperatures, the community—including Bronxville residents, school families, former staff, alumni, and friends—gathered to honor both Katie and Tom. Helen Welling, along with Kurt, Thomas, Jr., and their families, were in attendance.

Jim Agnello, a beloved retired guidance counselor at the school and longtime Welling family friend, warmly welcomed the crowd at the flagpole on Pondfield Road. Foundation Board Member Joe Burke also spoke, expressing gratitude for the continued support from staff, alumni, and town merchants. Burke stated, “Many generous merchants contributed to the event. We are grateful to Lange’s Deli, Park Place Bagels, Mrs. Morgan's Flower Shop, and LuluVere for donating refreshments and beautiful flowers, and to Bronxville’s Fleet Feet for lending their space for pre-event registration and bib pick-ups.”

With assistance from the Bronxville Police Department, Agnello invited participants to the street and sounded the bullhorn to kick off the race. Community volunteers, many with their children assisting, lined the route through the village. For the fourth year in a row, Jack Pasquale dressed up in a costume to greet runners and walkers passing by, along with his dad, David, and brother, Matthew. David Pasquale shared, “Katie’s Run is such an important part of the fabric of this town. We love supporting the event, and it’s always great to see so many people participating each year!”

The sun was brightly shining and warming Chambers Field as runners and walkers crossed the finish line, where alums and community members enjoyed refreshments and catching up. Thomas Welling, Jr. handed out medals to the winners, including Charlotte Rizzo and Julian Gonzalez, who finished with the best times overall.

The virtual option ensured friends from far and wide could participate, even if they couldn't be in Bronxville. Emily Liggitt, the Foundation’s Alumni Chair, noted, “Many friends come in person, while others submit photos of their virtual participation. Katie’s best friend, Jennifer Doyle-Kenney (Class of 2002), sent a photo of her family participating virtually from snowy Chicago!” People from Upstate New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania supported the event, as well as global participants from Florence, Italy and Munich, Germany.

This year, the Foundation invited all Bronxville School clubs and teams to participate, awarding a prize to the group with the largest turnout. Runners from the Cross Country and Track teams, as well as the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team, strongly represented Bronxville’s athletic contingent. Amy Atkeson, the Foundation’s Chairperson, shared, “Foundation student ambassadors Katie Fezza, Abigail Fong, Charlotte Haller, Quinn Hershberg, Peyton Levine, Charlotte Murray, and Anton Schmidt also showed their support, some participating in-person and others virtually.”

The event was established by Katie Welling’s many friends and her family to commemorate her wonderful sense of humor, infectious laugh, and love of life. Katie died in an off-campus fire at Miami University in Ohio in 2005. She had just turned 21.

Thanks to the continued support of the Bronxville community, Katie’s Run/Walk has generated over $300,000 since its inception. Contributions allow the Foundation to fund grants for facilities improvements, equipment, faculty training, curriculum development, and specialized programs at the Bronxville School.

To access Katie’s Run/Walk 2025 race time results for the live event, CLICK HERE.  To view this year’s photo album, CLICK HERE.

Special thanks to Carson Kochansky and Walker Liggitt for their wonderful photography.