Why did you want to run the Boston Marathon for
Samaritans?
Edited versions of your applications to join the 2016 Boston Marathon Team
Andrea Mendes:
I want to run Boston 2106 on behalf of the Samaritans in my twin sister’s memory. We lost
Joann on September 21st, 2014. I think I will remember (where I was and what I was doing for
the rest of my life) when I got the phone call. I will always remember seeing my mother for the
first time once I arrived at my parent’s house. Our family will never be the same. Fortunately,
we have each other, an extended family/friends network and the Samaritans. Running Boston for
suicide prevention was a decision I made very quickly. Joann and I had talked about running
Boston together one day. Now we will.
Dave Thompson:
I lost my sister, Katherine (Thompson) Diedrichsen, to suicide, on March 26th, 2012. I am the
oldest of three children, and Katherine was my only sister. In the past three years my journey
included, roughly, a year of grieving, followed by a year of education (suicide, grieving,
depression, anxiety, etc), and in the past year, transitioning even more into how I give back and
be there for others. I have openly shared my experiences over the past three years in order to help
others, and I have not shied away from speaking with others. I have come a long way on my
journey, I am comfortable sharing my personal story, and I’m committed to continuing to make a
bigger impact.
My parents, my brother and his family, and my sister’s family all live in NH and MA, while I
have lived in Minnesota for the past 20 years. My dad was in the Air Force so we moved every
three years while I grew up, but I lived in New Hampshire from 7th grade – 12th grade. Running
the Boston Marathon for Samaritans would be an amazingly powerful experience for me that will
have an impact in many ways. It will give me a stage, additional motivation and inspiration to
increase awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. It will be a cathartic journey back home
to be around and support those I love, and will help me continue to grow and learn on my path as
a suicide survivor. Training for this marathon will give me focused time to think about my
impact in this area and how I can be there even more for others. Running for Samaritans will
give others hope as I openly share my journey and spread awareness. And obviously the money
raised will continue to allow Samaritans to provide valuable services related to suicide awareness
and prevention. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity to represent a wonderful
organization.
Davia Moore:
I want to run the Boston Marathon for the second time on behalf of Samaritans because training for the
Boston Marathon with them last year helped me to process my recovery journey even further, and telling
people about my mission to raise money for Suicide Prevention gave me a platform to talk about my story
and share how recovery is possible. It gave me reason to talk with candor about how I almost took my
own life, and how I was able to move forward and accomplish things I never thought I could.
After being on the 2015 Samaritans Marathon Team, I trained to become a befriender on the crisis hotline
and it has further cemented my belief that the work Samaritans does is worthy of the attention and funding
it gets from the Marathon.
David Johnson:
I am running to raise suicide awareness and in memory of my nephew, Matthias Pena, who lost
his battle with depression on September 28, 2015 at the age of 15.
By raising awareness maybe at least one other family will not lose its Mathias and so will not
have to experience the searing pain my nephew’s family is now processing.
Jeff Price:
Shortly after moving to Boston I found out about volunteering at Samaritans through a friend,
and immediately signed up for a training class. Since joining the Samaritans volunteer team late
last year I have become very passionate about the work here at the hotline and the services we
provide. One of the ways this work impacts me personally is through my association with the US
Air Force. I currently work as a civilian at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, and suicide is a
very serious issue for active duty and civilian Airmen alike. The problem has received attention
from the nation’s top military leaders, and training and awareness have increased as a result.
Despite this heightened emphasis, last year saw the highest number of Air Force suicides since
the department began closely tracking the issue, and the military routinely experiences higher
rates of suicide compared to the rest of the population.
It can be tough to balance my job and other responsibilities with volunteering, but I find it very
rewarding, especially since suicide so drastically affects the organization I work for and thus the
people I work with. I feel that fundraising for Samaritans would be a wonderful compliment to
the time I'm already able to give, as it would raise awareness and provide financial support for
the services this organization provides. Services which some of my fellow Airmen most likely
rely on.
Jena Roma:
Running in the Boston Marathon has been on my bucket list for a long time. It would be
especially meaningful for me to be able to run on behalf of Samaritans due to my multiple
connections with suicide/suicide prevention.
My Uncle was a high function person who suffered from undiagnosed depression. He selfmedicated with alcohol. He never missed a day of work in his life and literally knew how to fix
anything and everything. He was a master mechanic and welder. His favorite job was mowing
the highway. He said he liked to be alone where no one could bother him. He was the funniest
person I ever met. To see the look on my grandfather’s face when he heard that his only son was
dead was something I will never ever forget. To know that my aunts no longer have their brother
and that my dad lost his best friend over something that was truly preventable makes it so much
worse. If the funds I raise can help even one family not have to go through this it will be well
worth it.
Kim Gagnon:
I lost my sister to suicide on July 10, 2006. Jodi Ann Sims was only 32 years old when she took
her own life. A few months after my sister’s tragic death, my mom asked if I’d be interested in
running a 5K for this local charity she’d reached out to for grief support. Loving running like I
do, I surely wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to join her for a run. And so it began. I ran
my first Samaritans’ 5K on that beautiful day in September 2006 and well, the rest is history. 10
5K’s and 7 Boston Marathon’s later, I’m still very proud to be part of Samaritans’ community.
My family and I represent the faces of those whose lives have been touched by suicide. Our
mission, at least mine anyway, isn’t to share the sadness of Jodi’s death year after year, but to
use her struggle with depression and battle with mental illness as our inspiration to spread some
awareness. And what better way to do that on a 26.2 mile journey from Hopkinton to Boston? I
often say, someday I want the headlines to read “80 year old woman runs 42nd consecutive
Boston Marathon on Team Samaritans.”
Kristina Conroy:
I graduated from Middlebury College in 2014 and began working as a Clinical Research
Coordinator in the department of Pediatric Psychopharmacology at MGH in June 2014. Like
many people, I have been touched by the impact of depression and suicide. Through both
personal ties and my work at MGH, I have born witness to the widespread effects of
compromised mental health. I have born witness to the widespread effects of compromised
mental health. I intend on dedicating the rest of my life to working with individuals who suffer
from mental instability and pervasive thoughts. I find myself more committed than ever to
raising awareness and advancing treatment.
In my personal life, I cherish a deep connection between running and mental well-being. I run to
ease anxiety, shut off my mind, celebrate my successes, and mourn my losses. I have run two
half marathons and countless 5Ks, most recently Samaritans’ 5K in memory of my family-friend
Lori Dalton, who took her life in March 2013. Despite the commonality of mental illness,
receiving support and treatment often comes with a powerful stigma. I am committed to run the
Boston Marathon for people who are forced to suffer silently and alone. I am eager to run for
something bigger. I am eager to join a community of individuals who share a connection to
mental health and to helping others.
Michael DuBose:
I have two significant reasons for running the marathon for suicide prevention. First, my
grandfather committed suicide when my mother was only 7 years old. He ingested Lysol
cleaner. My mother was devastated by this event and the loss of her father and I never received
the opportunity to get to know my grandfather. Out of shame and fear it would be too upsetting,
my parents chose not to inform me. I discovered what had happened through another family
member in my adulthood.
My second reason for dedicating this race to suicide prevention is to aid and honor my fellow
military personnel, active and retired. I enlisted and served in the US Marines in the early 80’s.
through the years, I have observed how the suicide rate for soldiers and veterans has risen in
devastating fashion, until today, when they now routinely use the figure “22” to denote the
number of military (active and inactive) who commit suicide each day. Of course, this does not
count the number of family members who end their lives in anguish following the death of a
soldier. I would like to honor my brother and sister soldiers by contributing to this worthy cause
and pledge my full commitment. There is a common saying on the battlefield of combat, “No
one gets left behind!” This will be my personal logo and mantra to this cause.
Michael Monestime:
I would be personally honored to run the 2016 Boston Marathon for the Samaritans. In 2014, I
ran the Boston Marathon for the Camp Shriver team. I successfully fundraised to support the
camp that is housed at my Alma matter, UMass Boston. Camp Shriver welcomes in children
with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as low income families to enjoy a free
inclusive summer camp. As a charity runner, I learned that I could empower others through my
running. For this and other reasons, I can honestly say that running has changed my life. Running
has helped me deal with my own challenges, including feeling depressed and alone.
In 2005, a close friend, Christian Caldaroni committed suicide. Since that day, over ten years
ago, I have learned about how many people the Samaritans supports every year. I wish that my
friend Christian had a chance to experience another day. I wish anyone who is feeling despair,
isolation, and suicidal could be supported. My hope to run the Boston Marathon while
fundraising for such an amazing organization, gives me strength and motivation. I would be
giving back and would be running in Christian’s memory, and for all those who have been
affected by suicide.
Ray Neves: (Ray has received his bib number from another source this year, and is an exciting
addition to our team. This was his answer to his application last year, when he ran with one of
our numbers)
As a Boston native raised in Cambridge and while attending Boston College it has always been a
lifelong dream of mine to run the Boston Marathon. My dream and motivation of running the
Boston Marathon changed in May 2005. On this day my brother and long time dear friend
Christian Caldaroni took his life while living in the apartment we shared in Revere. In honor of
Christian, my sister and close friend Nicole Costa has carried the torch and has run the Boston
Marathon in Christian’s memory for the past 9 years. As we slowly approach the 10th
anniversary of Christian’s transformation to a spiritual form in May, I would like to step up to
the challenge and accept the honor of running the 2015 Boston Marathon for Christian Team.
Sathya Silva:
On April 12, 2015, I lost my best friend. After years of being across the country from each other
for work and school, Wesley and my long-awaited reunion was a day that filled us both with
love, comfort, and hope for the future. This was 13 days before Wesley took his life.
Wesley and I had met our first year at Georgia Tech and bonded over our aerospace coursework
and a friendly competition about which one of us would get our pilot’s license first. I hadn’t
realized it at the time, but throughout the years our relationship had evolved to a point where
Wesley had let me into a very exclusive group of people, a group he trusted enough to reveal his
true self. Prior to his death he had divulged to a friend that he had had suicidal ideations before at
Georgia Tech. He also divulged that I was the reason he did not follow through. When I went to
his funeral, his father told me the story and thanked me for giving them 10 extra years with him.
This single statement had the most powerful impact on me. You never know what your
interactions with other people will provide for them – I now strive to make sure my interactions
with others are positive.
As challenging as this experience has been for me, Wesley continues to help me grow. I’ve
gained perspective through grief; I understand that each person’s grief and situation is unique.
Today, I feel much more capable talking about suicide, and strive to spread awareness and flight
the negative stigma surrounding mental health.
Steven Yearwood:
I would like to run the Boston Marathon on behalf of Samaritans because I have personally been in
situations in which I have had to personally talk to others about not committing suicide. There were two
times in my life in which I talked to two different friends in not taking their lives. These are experiences
that I will never forget and have impacted me on a greater and deeper level. I would like to bring more
awareness to suicide prevention because life is truly worth living for. I strongly believe that by running
the Boston marathon it will be a journey that I would like to share with others, especially given the
opportunity to show that suicide is something that we as a civilization should continue to focus on in a
greater race to saving lives.
Veronica Reichardt:
On February 3, 2007 my world came crashing down. I will always remember this day, I was in
my grey sweatsuit, just finishing my physical training for the police academy, when three state
trooper vehicles came flying into the barracks. They called me over “Orozco”. Your brother
Vaughn, committed suicide. I fell to my knees and just cried. I cried and cried and cried. I
couldn’t believe this. Why would a 15 year old commit suicide? I didn’t get it nor do we even
know why but the sad part is that it happened. Since then, my family has fallen apart and drifted
away from one another. I would love to run the Boston Marathon, I would make a point for my
entire family to be there, even if they didn’t want to be. I want to run for him, run for the cause
of spreading the end to suicide, run to show my family and friends, that my brother is worth it. I
have no true connection to the samaritans, but I have shared my story of my brother with
thousands of people. Not sure how some take it but some realize that life is too short, live today
for today.
A couple of years ago, before my first son was born, my husband and I walked to the suicide
prevention walk, the overnight in Boston, 18 miles through the night. I raised a tremendous
amount of money, which i couldn’t believe it was possible. It was one of the best days of my
life, walking with people knowing that each has lost a mother or brother or cousin or coping with
suicide within themselves. No one was there to judge or compare. We got colored beads, which
determine who we lost as a member of our family. I was sitting there, and young little girl came
up to me hugged me and said “I lost my brother too”.