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Running With The Law 5K Race Planned For June
By Jack Guerino, iBerkshires Staff
03:17PM / Monday, May 09, 2016
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Officers lead sixth- and seventh-graders through downtown North Adams last fall. The Running with the Law program restarted on Saturday with a 5K benefit run planned for June.

Accepting Neighborlies last week for their work with 'Running With The Law' are Officers Anthony Beverly, left, Sgt. Jason Wood, Kyle Cahoon (back), David Lemieux, David Sherman and Ben Austin.

Officer Kyle Cahoon promotes the Running With the Law race to Colegrove sixth- and seventh-graders.


NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — "Running with The Law" returned to the streets this past weekend with runs planned every Saturday up to a community road race planned for June.

Last fall, it was hard to miss North Adams Police officers running downtown with an entourage of nearly 20 elementary school students.

This same program, Running with The Law, returned Saturday for the spring session with a 5-kilometer road race planned for Saturday, June 11, to benefit Pop Cares, a non-profit organization that supports local cancer patients.

"We are kind of doing a spinoff of what we do with the Running with Law program. We are going to do a 5K and kind of get the whole community involved," Officer Dave Sherman said. "We are getting every police department involved — Adams PD, Williamstown PD, the state police and, hopefully, Pittsfield."

James Holmes, a teacher at Colegrove Park Elementary School, initiated the weekend runs with North Adams Police officers last fall. He said the fundraising race is a response to others in the community who wanted to join in.

The race's goal is to "flood North Adams with police officers from a myriad of local and state departments" for a good cause. 

Holmes said local businesses and organizations have already donated more than $3,000 to the race to have their names on the back of the official race shirts. All money raised through the race will go to Pop Cares.

"We are giving [the money] to people with cancer and a lot of these kids may not have a handle on what cancer really is but they want to help," Holmes said. "That is part of what the police officers want to show the kids: it doesn't cost anything to be nice to people and the guys are trying to get kids to see that, to do that, and to feel that."

Holmes said there is a nucleus of officers who donate their time and lead the runs, as well as spend time with the kids inside the classroom.

"Kids at Colegrove see the police probably more than anyone else in the city," Holmes said. "I know that these are the same guys that if they drive by a basketball court and see kids playing, they will stop the cruiser and get out and play."

Holmes said the more exposure students have to the police the better because they will know that they are just regular guys who want to help.

Sherman agreed and said the program puts a face to the badge and helps humanize the officers.

"It's nice running because we are not in uniform," Sherman said. "I remember when I was a kid seeing a police officer and thinking that that was all they wore and all they did. It's nice when we show up in sweats and just hang out. We can talk to them on another level and they figure out that we are just guys that want to help out."

Sherman said during the runs there is a lot of chatter and the officers talk about everything from school, to making good life choices, current events, or just drinking enough water.

Holmes said the officers always wave to the students when they see them out on a patrol and Officer David Lemieux is known for trailing buses so he can give each kid a high five when they get off the bus.

Students are receptive to the program and look forward to the Saturday runs.

"It's fun. I like running with the police and talking with them," said sixth-grader Emily Cooper. "I am excited to run in the race."

"It's nice, and it gives you something to do on Saturday," seventh-grader Alan Marceau. "I get to run with my favorite teacher. It's fun to run with the cops."

Holmes said every time the runners hit Blackinton Street, they do planks. He said passersby tend to stop and join in. He added that it is also mandatory to say "hi" to everyone they see on the street.

And the community has taken notice.

Last Wednesday, the officers were presented with Neighborlies Awards from the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition for their involvement in the program.

Sherman said he has already seen the benefits of police involvement in school when officers respond to homes where there are younger children.

"You can tell the difference. If we have to respond somewhere, we can tell the difference between one of the kids that is in our program and just another kid who doesn't know us," Sherman said. "There is just a whole new connection. They can talk to us and relate to us."

Holmes said people can sign up for the June 11 race online and hopes a lot of people sign up to help support Pop Cares and thank the officers that protect the community.

"I am grateful that they do all of these things," Holmes said. "These kids beam when they see these guys and I can't put a price on that. They are so good to this community and people need to know that."

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