To appreciate this award, one
must understand how Tom was as a person. Tom was born on
March
10th, 1963. As a 7th grader, he approached his school's
coach to ask if he could practice running with
the team. This was the beginning of a long and successful
running career, during which he made many
enduring friendships. Tom ran Cross Country, Winter and
Spring Track in Jr. High School, High
School and College. He also served as team captain during
several seasons and was awarded MVP,
All-American, Lowell Sun All-Star and Boston Globe
Honors.
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Providence, Rhode Island community. He immersed
himself in improving the quality of life in the
neighborhood by becoming a mentor to several young
people and a friend to their families.
In December 1994, in an effort
to protect one of his
associates during a robbery at his office, Tom was
shot and killed by an unidentified person.
While Tom was
recognized widely as a gifted runner
throughout his career, it is the generosity of spirit,
love
of the race and respect for his teammates, his
competitors and his neighbors that captured his
essence. This scholarship has been created to recognize
and encourage those qualities in other young runners.
The hope of Tom's
family and friends is that his
memory will be everlasting in those runners who
have the gift to continue the race that Tom started.
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