Contributed by Brian Kelley

Milton Pierce Middle School students will visit Keep the Edge Studios in Quincy on March 25, 2014 to record the marathon anthem, “I Will Run Again” as part of The Run Again Project. The project is a letter writing campaign from school children to the runners of the 2014 Boston Marathon. The song is a motivational tribute to the runners composed by Kathleen Ready of Westwood. The song will be made available as a free download at The Run Again Project web site.

Students from Milton, Westwood, Quincy and Boston are participating in the project. Teachers will begin a discussion with their students over the next few weeks about persevering after tragedy. The students will use this lesson of determination to write letters or share stories of how they overcame obstacles, or how they are recommitting to new goals this year in honor of a runner. According to Lynda-Lee Sheridan, Principal of the Roosevelt K-8 in Boston, whose students are participating in the project, “This song brings tears to my eyes, but it is also a call to action. I am thrilled my students will be writing letters for this important project.”

With the tragic events of last year’s marathon imbedded in the thoughts of many, and soon to be flooding the airwaves again, it is the hope of project organizers that they can take some of the attention away from the images of the disaster and place it back on the runners. These are the people, who despite all odds, are helping Boston and beyond, “run again.” Many thought 2013 might be their last marathon, but in light of the tragedy, they are returning this year.
This campaign is a simple way for children to make a difference in the world around them. Organizers of the campaign imagine how proud the runners will feel after they cross the finish line having received notes of encouragement from children around the state.

Schools that would like to participate can visit the web site for more information at www.therunagainproject.org or email brian@therunagainproject.org.