Last week's surreal events in Boston hit home on so many levels. Not only did it occur in our 'backyard', but the Boston Marathon is America's premier road race. Every year there are local runners we know and track their 26.2 mile journey online as well as people who are going down to volunteer or to cheer their family and friends on.
In my time, I have run eight marathons and have run in or worked at many large events. It is always such a happy and joyous moment when the runners, after training so hard and for so long, approach the finish line and begin looking for their family members. The sense of accomplishment is real! I still can't process how someone can be so evil and destroy so many lives.
How impressive was the response of the police, fire and emergency personnel just after the explosions? In discussing this with Lovell Fire Department Chief Tommie McKenzie, he said that everyone did exactly how they were trained. So, remember the next time you see one of the disaster training exercises that various towns and cities conduct, that they really do serve an important purpose.
One other observation--many people object to the outrageous salaries that professional athletes earn and the self-centered lives they lead. However, there is no question that the Boston sport teams played a tremendous role in bringing the region back together. Take a moment to watch the singing of the National Anthem at the Bruins' game and Neil Diamond (who came uninvited on a red-eye flight from California) sing Sweet Caroline at Saturday's Red Sox game.
The Governor of Massachusetts and the Mayor of Boston have established The One Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization to collect funds that will be used to help the victims of the bombings. Long after normalcy returns to our daily lives, the injured victims and families who lost a loved one will still need help. If you can, please donate.