Run To Remember

CELORON — Ninety-two.

That’s the number of times that Tom Anderson has served as a race director — 35 for the Lakewood Firecracker 5K, 35 for the Battle of the Businesses road race and Saturday was the 22nd for the Amy King 5K.

Held annually to honor the memory of the Celoron native, Amy was a flight attendant on one of the doomed highjacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001. So, shortly before the 130 runners/walkers took off from the start line adjacent to the Lucille Ball Memorial Park on a cool, sun-drenched morning, Anderson did a test run with the portable public-address system in anticipation of him making some remarks.

His son, Troy, as well as special guest Paul Veneto — a retired flight attendant who honors the lost flight crews by pushing a beverage cart in their memory — also planned to speak.

There was one problem.

The PA system was not cooperating.

“The speaker never works,” Anderson said.

So he ditched it and the men talked to the gathered crowd without amplification.

Of course, the Amy King 5K truly needs no introduction.

The first race was held the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2001, not quite three months after Amy lost her life when terrorists crashed the plane she was riding in into the World Trade Center in New York City.

Since then, runners/walkers have gathered annually in the village on the shores of Chautauqua Lake to remember her, with all the proceeds benefiting the children’s playground at the Lakewood YMCA where Anderson has served as branch manager for years.

“All the money — every single penny — goes to the playground and goes to the kids,” he said. “We don’t take money out for administration costs.”

Veneto was making his second appearance at the Amy King 5K after connecting with Anderson’s other son, Cory.

“Paulie has really helped the race,” Anderson said. “He comes back every year. He’s a great guy.”

“This (race) is a personal touch,” added Anderson, who plans to retire from the Lakewood YMCA at the end of the year. “They run by Amy’s house where she grew up, they run by (Lucille Ball’s former) house and they run by Amy’s (former) apartment.”

Amy’s sisters, Kelly Work and Debbie Lloyd, were in attendance and joined Anderson and his family for photos before the 5K.

Smiles were everywhere.

“I’m super proud (of my dad),” said Troy Anderson, “and super proud of him putting all this together.”

Moments later, Tom Priester, Amy’s former Southwestern Central School cross country coach, fired his starter’s gun and the runners took off. As they did so, a plane operated by area resident Bruce Janowsky, flew over the gathering in the cloudless, royal-blue sky.

NOTES: For the record, Trenton Shutters of Jamestown was the top male finisher, posting a time of 16 minutes, 57.9 seconds, ahead of second-place Trey Faulk (17:01.2) and third-place Jackson Vanstrom (20:16.2), who are also both from Jamestown. … Lucy Brown, 14, of Lakewood was the top female finisher, recording a time of 21:07.1. Second- and third-place finishes belonged to Rosanne Carr of Cassadaga (22:38.3) and Kirsten Holmberg of Kennedy (22:59.5) respectively.