Get Ready for the James E. Kearney Run for Fun on Saturday, May 24
May 7, 2014: The Bronxville School PTA is once again organizing the James E. Kearney Run for Fun on Memorial Day Weekend, and co-chairs Lia Gravier and Courtney Burgin have added a new twist this year.
After the 2.5 mile run/walk through Bronxville neighborhoods on Saturday, May 24, the PTA will host a kids' dash on the school track. "The kids' dash will give younger families a way to get involved in this amazing race," Lia said. All participants in the kids' dash will receive medals and T-shirts.
The main event, of course, will be the James E. Kearney Run for Fun, with runners lining up at the flagpole at the Pondfield Road entrance of the school at 8:45 am. As many as 400 adults and children have participated in past years, and Lia and Courtney are hoping for a big turnout this year.
This is the tenth year the race has been sponsored by the James E. Kearney Foundation to honor the memory of Bronxville High School graduate James E. Kearney ('94) and his belief in athletics as a tool to face hardship. A former winner of the Run for Fun, James was running 10 miles a day before work to prepare for the New York marathon when he was diagnosed with primary brain cancer. In May of 2003, just two weeks after his second brain surgery, he won a second-place trophy in the Bronxville Run for Fun. Despite his illness, he ran every single day--until he could no longer run. He died in March of 2004.
This year, members of the Kearney family will sign racers in, help start the race, and hand out prizes. As it has in the past, the foundation will donate race proceeds to the Bronxville School PTA. The Bronxville Running Company will donate water for the runners.
Register online at https://register.chronotrack.com/reg/form?eventID=8302. If you decide at the last minute that you are going to be in town, you can preregister in person at the Bronxville Running Company on Friday, May 23, from noon to 6:00 pm or the morning of the race starting at 8:00 am at the Bronxville School flagpole on Pondfield Road. Advance registration is $25. Same-day registration is $35.
"As the saying goes, it takes a village to make this race happen," Lia said. Thirty-five people typically volunteer to make sure runners can get through the course safely. They keep traffic off the street as runners pass and offer cheers and smiles. Lia's husband, Joseph, will head up the bike captains who ride the course during the race. To volunteer for the safety detail, email Lia at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
"When I was asked last year to organize the 2013 race, I was really honored," Lia said. "I'm a runner and was really excited to be able to volunteer my time doing something I love." She said she volunteered again this year because she "was really amazed at the incredible support of our community." Lia won't run the race, but her three children, Olivia, age 13, Jules, age 11, and Wyatt, age 7, will all run. So will her inlaws, RoseAnne and Joe Gravier.
Courtney, who moved to Bronxville last August from London, said that she heard people talking about the PTA's Memorial Day celebration and wanted to be involved. "When I met Lia, her enthusiasm for the Run for Fun was contagious, and I immediately wanted to work with her," she said.
Courtney said her entire family plans to run, including her son, Wilder, who won the Elementary School Memorial Day logo contest and will get to see the logo he designed on T-shirts and baseball caps the PTA will sell this year. Her husband and two sons will run the race. Her daughter will run the 75-yard first graders' dash on the track. "Come on out and join us!" she said.
For a full schedule of PTA events over the Memorial Day weekend, please go to www.bronxvillepta.org.
Pictured here (L to R): Co-chairs Lia Gravier and Courtney Burgin.
Photo courtesy Francine Schwadel, Publicity Co-Chair, Bronxville School PTA
Government & History Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
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Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
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337-2024
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Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400
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