A large group of people gathered at the Swan Pond Clubhouse a few weeks ago on Saturday morning, May 5. There they were stretching, putting on bib numbers, and amassing behind a chalk-drawn line on the street. This group, composed of runners and walkers, was ready to attack the avenues of Swan Pond with the soles of their shoes in order to help fund cancer research. The title “Pounding the Pavement for Paula” suited, as more than 150 people competed. Sophomores Catherine Murphy and Patrick Connell, as well as junior Astrid Warny were the heads of the operation, but they had a great deal of support from their family members and friends for making everything come through.

The running race commenced at noon. Fifteen minutes later, the walkers began. For two and a half grueling miles they beat on, and after only sixteen minutes, junior Alex Fraser and Walpole alumnus Kevin Conley were neck and neck, closing in on the final stretch. Conley, being ever-so-curteous, allowed for Fraser to cross the line first and be the victor. The same ordeal happened only a half hour later with the walkers when sophomore Sara Murtagh let sophomore Siobhan Kemple come in first.

At about 1:30, all went inside the Swan Pond Clubhouse to mingle with refreshments, raffle for an assortment of items and baskets, and watch the winners receive their awards. The refreshing food included fruit snacks, granola bars, pizza, pasta, and more. The raffle prizes consisted of donated gift cards and gift baskets from local shops, like Watson’s, or peculiar knick-knacks that were purchased with the raffle in mind. The prize that garnered the most money was a giant teddy bear that went to Murphy’s cousin. Soon after the raffles were drawn, the general population left and the volunteers cleaned and picked up the Clubhouse.

So far, over $5,000 from Walpole residents have been raised for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, but donations can still be sent to Murphy, Warny, or Connell. When asked about how she felt regarding the outcome of the race, Murphy said, “I’m just really happy with the way everything turned out. We worked hard on this for a few months and to see it all come together was just awesome.”