Jeffrey’s Runners honor late friend
The Daily Progress- 3/30/08
Lou Centini(right), leader of Jeffrey’s Runners,
competes in the Charlottesville 10-Miler. The group
is named after Centini’s son, who died from lymphoma
four years ago.
More than 50 runners clad in moss green T-shirts crossed the finish
line Saturday at the Charlottesville 10-Miler. Few finished among the top
racers, but that mattered little. Those runners were accomplishing much more
than just a 10-mile run. The group, christened Jeffrey’s Runners, ran in
memory of Jeffrey Centini, a former Albemarle student who died from
lymphoma four years ago. In the process, the group helped raise money for an
aid foundation called Jeffrey’s Gifts through donations.
Jeffrey’s father, Lou Centini, 51, led the way and checked in with an extremely respectable time of
1:07:43, finishing 103rd in the 10-Miler and third in his age group. Centini began the tribute run three years
ago with just 12 runners, but the number running for the cause has more than quadrupled. Strong support
from the Albemarle High community has helped spur the expansion of the group. Even Albemarle principal
Matthew Haas ran in support of the cause.
Jeffrey Centini wanted to help children who faced a plight similar to his own, but weren’t lucky
enough to have the web of support and benefits he did while being treated at the UVa Children’s Hospital
in Charlottesville. “He felt he was very fortunate in how he was treated when all these people would come
and give him food and gifts and electronics and DVDs and computers,” Lou Centini said. “He saw these
other kids who were less fortunate and many whose families couldn’t be here.”
In the later stages of his lymphoma, Jeffrey began collecting his own old toys from the family’s
basement and packaging them in grocery bags. He’d then take them to the hospital to give to a child he’d
befriended during his treatment. Now Jeffrey’s Gifts provides gift bags for a number of children fighting
cancer. The bags are packed with T-shirts, hats, blankets, pillows and coupons for pizza or movies. “We
give them Legos because Jeff played with a lot of Legos when he couldn’t do anything else,” Centini said.
The bags also contain a certificate for an electronic item of some sort, either a game system, a DVD player
or any other number of entertainment items
For Lou Centini, though, it’s all about honoring his departed son.
“It’s a way for us and me to remember and do the good work that he was all about,” Centini said. “We’re
just doing his will.”
Over 18 members of the Albemarle High School community ran in this year’s
event.
From left to right:
AB Baranik, Mason Wood, Stephen Duffy. Kathleen Frechette, Dalton Stokes, Dilan Yuksel,
Zach Tyler, Rachel Kidney, Ashley Fletcher, Gus Cramer, and Mr. Lindsay
Not picture were students Lucas Tyler, and staff Dr. Haas, Mr. Clay, Mr. Collier, Mr.
Pankau, Mr. Jackson, Ms. Fagan, and Mr. Massey