The Hoyt Foundation April Newsletter

From the Office of the President

This is the 10th Anniversary since the last time Dick and Rick ran the Boston marathon together.

In 2013 Dad had intended to surprise everyone and announce that it would his last Boston Marathon after crossing the finish line.  When the bombing happened Dad and Rick were still on the course and they were unable to finish.  Right then and there Dad and Rick discussed it and decided they would be back in 2014.  They would run the marathon together one last time and show the world just how strong Boston truly is.   

This year many of the runners from the Team Hoyt charity team and some friends and family will be running the BAA 5K and finishing together to honor Dick and Rick’s last historic finish.  Please come and look for our Team in our Red Singlets at the BAA 5K on Saturday April 13, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. The start line is on Charles Street between the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common.

We also have special singlets for race day on Monday for the 128th Running of the Boston Marathon to honor Dick and Rick.  Please look for our Team Hoyt charity team runners in their Red, White and Blue Tie Dye singlets with Dick and Rick on the front and YES YOU CAN on the back.

10 Year Anniversary Special Duo

This year the Marathon holds special meaning for Team Hoyt, The Hoyt Foundation and the Hoyt Family as it is the 10-year anniversary of Dad & Rick’s last Boston together.  We are celebrating with a special logo that will be on our runner’s singlets and Troy, Dick's grandson and RIck's nephew, has been named the official starter for the Duo and Handcycle division.

We are also thrilled that are Honorary Team Hoyt Duo will be special.  Rick used to say that if he wasn’t disabled, he would get up out of his chair, have Dad sit down and he would push Dad.  Well, this year we have a daughter, Chrissy, who is pushing her Dad, Bill.  And they are doing it in a chair that honors Team Hoyt built by our own Michael DiDonato at Team Hoyt Running chairs.

Hajjar School Visit

The Hoyt Foundation President & CEO Russ Hoyt presented YES YOU CAN the Story of Team Hoyt to the students at the Hajjar Elementary School in Billerica.

The presentation was well received by the students.  The students learned that they can do hard things telling themselves YES YOU CAN whenever they are presented with a challenge.  They had amazing questions including:

• “How did Rick get to not be able to talk?”
• “What was the hardest race Team Hoyt ever ran together?”
• “What is the most fun thing you ever did with your brother Rick?”

In addition to walking through the students and answering their wonderful questions Russ was also able to donate two of Rick’s books “Rick’s Story” to the school so they could have the books in the library for students to borrow and learn more about the YES YOU CAN message.

This was a special presentation for Russ as it was his great nephew Dom Biggins school and his wife Lisa and niece Alisa (Dom’s Mom) were there to share in the wonderful day with the students.

This message was shared with families after their students enjoyed the presentation.

Family of Runners

The son of one of our 2022 Team Hoyt charity runners is on the verge of doing something amazing!

Congratulations to Brandon Ehrlich who completed the Tropical 5k and the Miami Half Marathon this past weekend.  Brandon is a person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder disability. 

In fact, athletics is where Brandon really shines.   Brandon runs as part of Achilles International.  The New Jersey Chapter, Achilles-NJ, enables people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream running events in order to promote personal achievement.  Brandon has started his training for the London Marathon in April 2024 and is on his way to collecting the Six Star Medal by the Abbott World Marathon Majors which honors runners who complete all 6 of the following major marathons:  

Chicago (Completed 10/2022) 

Boston (Completed 4/2022) – The same year his mother ran for Team Hoyt!

New York (Completed 11/2022) 

Berlin (Completed 9/2023) 

London  (Will Complete 4/2024) 

Tokyo (Will Complete 3/2025) 

With just two marathons left to go, Brandon is well on his way to being awarded the Six Star Medal and being inducted into the Hall of Fame.  If you’d like to learn about the agency that has provided guides for Brandon check out - http://achillesnj.org

Congratulations to Brandon and good luck in London & Tokyo!

Team Hoyt Memorial Race

Team Hoyt Memorial YES YOU CAN Run Together

If you want you name on your number you MUST register BEFORE April 15, 2024.

If you want to be sure you will get a shirt, register early as they are limited to the first 700 runners and we went over that number last year.

If you want to be sure you will get a medal, register early as there is limited supply!

Bruins Watch Party with Zdeno Chara

The Bruins Watch Party with Zdeno Chara was a huge success! 

Highlights included:

Special NHL pucks signed by the big man himself!

26 Raffle items and 6 auction with the biggest donation coming from an over $800 bid that won a 100 Year Bruins Jersey signed by the whole team

Thank yous and shout outs to:

Longboards in Salem for hosting the event.

The Thomas E. Smith Foundation for partnering with The Hoyt Foundation to make the event a true success.

David O’Leary for his incredible work as an MC and Auctioneer

And of course to Zdeno Chara who was gracious and accommodating all day and made this event a truly great day raising critical funds to support individuals with disabilities.

The Baker SuperK

BE A MENTAL HEALTH HERO

Date: Saturday, May 4th 2024 - 8:00 A.M.

Location: Fiedler Field, Charles River Esplanade

Join The Baker Center for Children and Families to kick-off Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week for a walk, roll, and fun run along the Charles River Esplanade and celebration on Fiedler Field. The Baker SuperK Walk, Roll, and Fun Run is a one-of-kind event that brings together our community of families, friends, and supporters to celebrate children’s mental health—and raise critical funding to support our work and mission. Join us today to make a difference in the lives of children who need us most!

The Town of Hopkinton Celebrated 100 Years of Boston Marathon Starts on Thursday April 4th

26.2 Foundation and Hopkinton Center for the Arts hosted an evening of celebration and community.  Tim Kilduff the President of the 26.2 Foundation shared some incredible marathon history including Ashland’s role in beginning as the home of the start prior to Hopkinton.  Tim established just how important it is that all the communities in Metrowest work together in putting on the best marathon in world and to improve the lives of citizens across the area.

The Boston Athletic Association was also honored for their “evolving” work and how they have become an agency that supports and is helping to grow inclusion in the same way The Hoyt Foundation does.

Russ and Lisa Hoyt were on hand to represent Team Hoyt and The Hoyt Foundation and enjoyed seeing the famous Team Hoyt Lithograph as one of the featured art exhibits.

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