The Hoyt Foundation October Newsletter |
From the Office of the President |
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October is a month to celebrate many cool things. Fall arrives with its cooler weather. Halloween is a cool and scary holiday enjoyed by young and old alike. It is the month when one of the coolest events on the planet – the World Championship Ironman Triathlon – is run in Kona Hawaii. Everyone knows that the Boston Marathon was Rick’s favorite event to run but did you know that Dad’s favorite was the Ironman?
He loved: - The challenge of the swim in the Pacific Ocean.
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The bike through the blazing hot lava fields.
- And finally, the run where he and Rick usually passed hundreds of other runners.
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It is also pretty cool that October is the month of my birthday and because of Dad and Rick’s participation in the Ironman I was lucky enough to be in Hawaii for both my 21st and 50th birthdays. This year we are honored to know that Dave McGillivray and Zdeno Chara are running in Hawaii as well the Pease brothers the only other Duo other than Dad or Rick to finish this iconic race. That is actually very cool. |
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| Dick and Judy Hoyt’s
“Yes You Can” Grant Update |
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One of the grantees from the 2024 Dick & Judy Hoyt Inclusion Grant, Pete and Graham Sargent, shared an update from the chair supplied by the program. |
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They wrote,
“Just wanted to report back and say how thrilled we all are with the new Team Hoyt racing chair! We used it last weekend for the first time at the Charles River Center 5K in Needham and it worked out perfectly for both Graham and myself. We cannot thank you all enough for making this possible and we are looking forward to many more races and outings!” |
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Graham and Pete ran in a 5K in Needham last Sunday on September 29th in the CRC 5K, which is a popular community event that attracts more than 500 participants each year to support programs at the Charles River Center. Teams, individual runners, and walkers of all abilities participate.
This was the maiden voyage of the Team Hoyt racing chair that the Hoyt Foundation and the Flutie Foundation so generously donated through our grant program and was manufactured by Michael DiDonato and his team from Southbridge Tool. The chair was described as incredible for both Graham and Pete in terms of comfort and performance and they happily breezed through the hilly course with no drama to report. The disc brake system worked perfectly on the downhills and the arm rests helped tremendously on the ups! All went well and the duo is very grateful for the grant itself and for the opportunities that the chair represents!
Pete and Graham comfortably hung out post-race to enjoy food, drink and festivities (including a band playing some of their favorite running music - Iggy Pop, Alice in Chains, Black Sabbath, etc.) and Graham was able to stay in the chair for the duration because it is so comfortable! Please note the 2025 grant program dates: - Grant applications open on Rick’s Birthday – January 10, 2025
- Grant applications close on Judy’s Birthday – March 8, 2025
- Grant awards are made on Dick’s Birthday – June 1, 2025
- *2025 Info is NOT open yet but for more info look here - Dick & Judy Hoyt YES YOU CAN Inclusion Grants 2024 Info
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Team Hoyt spent an amazing weekend in Boulder Colorado supporting Phil Dumontet as he put on an amazing event that featured a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Full Marathon all on the same day. Phil ran the Boston Marathon on our 2024 charity team. Phil asked our President & CEO Russ Hoyt to join the Boulderthon board to help make the event more inclusive. |
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Team Hoyt was represented in the Half Marathon by Troy Hoyt. |
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We found a truly incredible coffee shop that supports inclusion near the start and finish line where we met Ali Bowling and her husband, Thatcher. The coffee shop is called Bitty & Beau’s and was inspired by the children of the Wright family. Ali is working with a group to found a new Team Hoyt Chapter – Team Hoyt Denver. |
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A few days later we had the opportunity to meet with Stacey Hicks who is working with Ali and others to get the Team Hoyt Denver Chapter up and “running”. Team Hoyt Virginia Beach and Team Hoyt San Diego have been a great help to Stacey, Ali and the group in putting this together. |
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On March 17, 2022 the MetroWest YMCA Honored Tatyana McFadden as the Team Hoyt Inspiration Award winner. The award recognizes individuals and teams who have made significant contributions to the community and embody the spirit of the YMCA. |
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| Since then, Tatyana has kept incredibly busy with her athletic endeavors and most recently became the most highly decorated Paralympic track and field athlete in history. |
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Congratulations Tatyana! We continue to be amazed by your accomplishments and determination, passion, and compassion. |
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The Hoyt Foundation was well represented at Venture Community Services Sip & Support event. Proceeds from the event will support people with developmental disabilities in our community and our new program for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To ensure this amazing agency gets the support it needs Russ, Lisa, Rob and Zaida Hoyt attended and were joined by LuEllen and Kevin Smith at the event.
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Venture Community Services has core values of honesty, respect, integrity, innovation and compassion which represent their commitment to remaining an industry leader in providing support to individuals and families across Massachusetts.
A highlight of the evening was the giant Flip Cup game. All contests were well played and Lisa kept her streak of beating Russ 3 years running. |
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As always the Hoyt Family truly enjoyed the opportunity to thank members of their board and the staff of Venture for their work and to encourage their continued support of individuals with disabilities. To learn more about Venture and everything they do please visit their website - Venture Community Services.
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From the United Kingdom we recently heard from Nick Alsop, pictured here wearing the Team Hoyt 2016 Boston Marathon t-shirt, with his dog 'Friendship', before their club run night. Nick shared,
"We are based in Hoylake, Wirral, Merseyside, where the famous Open Golf Tournament is held. We meet at The Ship Inn in Market Street Tuesday and Thursday nights 6.30 PM, if any of your supporters are ever here for the Golf, or on holiday, please do come and run with us!" |
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Dave McGillivray once again put on a great event to honor his hometown of Medford. Do you know who is inside the cone? |
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Friday night featured the Children’s Race, Adaptive Mile, High School Mile and Celebrity Mile. |
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The celebrity mile featured a great group of runners on earth and even one from outer space! |
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Saturday was a perfect weather day for the 5K, 5 mile run and 2 mile walk. Team Hoyt showed their support for Dave and the City of Medford as Amanda, Troy, Lisa and Russ took part in the 2 mile walk. |
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A Look Back at Boston 2024 |
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Last year’s Boston Marathon team had many great stories and one of them was Nate and Lyndsay Kuder. They were even featured in the 2024 Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program Stories: |
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Lyndsay Kuder (43) and Nate Kuder (44) from Roslindale, MA, USA
“We ran the 2024 Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America for Team Hoyt, an organization that inspires us both deeply. Their mission of inclusion for individuals with disabilities resonates with us. We’ve admired the Hoyt family for years, not just for their achievements in running but for their dedication to ensuring that everyone—regardless of ability—can participate fully in life. Since this year’s Boston Marathon was the first race after Rick Hoyt passed away, we felt even more motivated to run for Team Hoyt and to honor his legacy.
Race day:
“This year started with a crazy idea - could we do it? Could we raise enough money to both secure a bib? Could we figure out how to both train at the same time with two young kids at home to manage? Just getting to the starting line was an accomplishment! Our goal was to run the first half together and see what happens.
“We’ve each run Boston once before, but this was the first time running together. Race day was a whirlwind of emotions and energy. The crowd was electric, especially when they recognized the Team Hoyt logo and shouted, “Yes You Can!” Every mile felt like a tribute to the Hoyt family. It was a day we’ll never forget, full of pride, exhaustion, and joy. “We both finished the day far off our personal bests, but so proud of overcoming the adversity along the way and mostly proud of what running for Team Hoyt really means. Giving back:
“We managed to raise $22,996 for Team Hoyt this year between us, thanks to the incredible generosity of our friends, family, and community. The funds will help support Team Hoyt’s mission of creating inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can achieve their goals, just like Rick and Dick Hoyt did. Campaign stardom:
“We are also grateful to Bank of America for including us in their charity campaign. It was a fun experience doing the photo shoots and recording the radio spots - something we had never done before! But the exposure for us and, more importantly, for the Hoyt Foundation was so helpful. It fired up our friends and community and led to at least one donation of $1400 by someone who saw the billboards!
“After this year’s marathon, Nate was invited to join Team Hoyt President, Russ Hoyt, when he presented a donation to the Augmentative Communication Program at Boston Children's Hospital. Talking with the program staff and meeting two amazing men who benefited from the services of this program changed his perspective and made the fundraising we did even more meaningful.
“This marathon has solidified our commitment to Team Hoyt and its mission, and we’re excited for what’s next—whether that’s another marathon or using our platform to inspire others to take action.” |
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Update on our Charity Runners |
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Former charity runner Maria Ehrlich, and her son Brandon, were at the Vegas Strong 5K. The event was created following the events of October 1, 2017 of the Mandalay Bay shooting when 58 people were killed and many others injured, the Las Vegas Valley once again reunited in a walk and run to honor their memory. |
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Team Hoyt and Achilles NJ were there to commemorate the anniversary of One October and remember those who lost their lives. We walked and ran in their memory and in honor of the survivors and the first responders. We will never forget! |
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Team Hoyt Ambassador Update |
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Team Hoyt Ambassador Shawn Hoyt was happy to represent the team at the Pilgrimman race. It was his 3rd 70.3 distance (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) and second consecutive Pilgrimman. He was approaching this race as a training test for his full Ironman race in November but still hoping for a PR. Although Shawn did not get an overall PR he did get his bike PR. Shawn shared, “I really enjoyed the experience and also got valuable feedback for the longer race coming up.” |
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Memorial Race 2025 Save the Date |
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It’s almost Halloween – Don’t be scared to save the date for the Team Hoyt Memorial YES YOU CAN Run Together Saturday May 24, 2025 10:00 AM EMC Park in Hopkinton MA Rick Says “MOOOve to your calendar and write it down!” |
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