Our Beginnings

The Need for Sean's Run

Our Growth and Impact

The Committee to Produce the Sean Patrick French
Memorial Run / Walk

We Are About

Producing a well-organized, highly publicized pre prom-season event that includes:

• 5K Run/Walk,
• 1 Mile youth race known as Meghan'sMile
• Tribute to Victims and Survivors,
• World Championship Battle of the Belts seatbelt contest, and a
• Prevention Education Expo

Our Goals Are

• Increasing awareness about the problems of underage drinking and impaired driving by attracting participants, spectators and media attention from across the capital region to a well-organized community event.

• Raising funds to give to youth and student organizations to implement year-round programs that combat underage drinking, impaired driving and teens’ lax use of seatbelts.

• Raising funds to present scholarships to deserving college-bound seniors from throughout the region.

• Encouraging healthy lifestyles and safe choices and reduces the number of teens who drink, drive while impaired, ride with a drunk driver, or fail to use seatbelts.

Our Beginnings
Our all-volunteer Committee and Board of Directors created Sean’s Run in response to the tragic death of Sean Patrick French, the 17-year old Chatham High School junior, honor roll student, community volunteer and record-setting athlete who lost his life on January 1, 2002 as a passenger in a drunk-driving car crash. Another passenger, 17-year old Ian Moore, sustained paralyzing injuries and is now a paraplegic. The intoxicated driver, also 17-years old, was a schoolmate who had been arrested previously for drunk driving, just 18 days before the fatal crash.

This tragedy prompted the enactment of Sean’s Law on January 1, 2003 that requires the suspension of a license upon the first arrest of a 16 or 17 year old on drunk driving charges. The Bill to implement Sean’s Law, which passed in both the NYS Senate and Assembly with unanimous votes, was drafted and first introduced in the Senate by our own Senator Stephen Saland and subsequently introduced in the Assembly by Buffalo-area Assemblyman Paul Tokasz. Governor George E. Pataki signed the Bill into law during a public ceremony at Chatham High School on September 30, 2002.

Sean’s story is featured in the dramatic educational video entitled “Confronting Drunk Driving” distributed to schools nationwide by Human Relations Media, (800) 431-2050. His story also been the subject of an article in Sports Illustrated magazine, numerous newspaper reports and television reports, and has been highlighted by NYS MADD.

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The Need for Sean’s Run
Sean’s death prompted a group of adults and youth from the Chatham area to come together and ask the question: “What else can we do, as a community, to help kids make better choices, to get them to better understand why they should never ride with an impaired driver, why they should not consume alcoholic beverages until they are 21, why they should always use their seatbelts?”

A Committee member added, “If it can happen to a young person like Sean, who was a responsible, smart and well adjusted young man, then maybe it could happen to any kid in the community.”

Another added, “The school teaches about this, but apparently, more needs to be done to reinforce the lessons taught in school.”

NYS Department of Motor Vehicles research continues to show that young drivers are more often involved in alcohol-related crashes than any other comparable age group. The peak of fatal crashes occurs at age 21. One only has to pick up the newspapers to see story after story of alcohol-related fatal and personal injury crashes involving drivers who are under the age of 21 years. While drivers who are under the age of 21 comprise only 7% of the licensed drivers in the region, these young drivers were responsible for 21 % of all the alcohol-related fatal and personal injury crashes - an over representation factor of 300%.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and nearly 2/3 of those who perish were not using seatbelts. Over half of all teenage car crashes involve alcohol.

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Our Growth and Impact
Year 1 —
The first Sean’s Run 5K, on the last Sunday of April, 2002, was produced just 4 months after Sean French’s death. The event attracted over 1,000 participants from a 14-county region and raised $40,000 that was contributed in equal portions to the Sean Patrick French Scholarship Fund and to the family of Ian Moore to help retrofit his home to accommodate his wheelchair and other special needs. The Scholarship Fund now awards 6 to 10 scholarships annually to seniors from throughout the capital region.

This first event served as the catalyst for the commencement of the first-ever Chatham Middle School SADD chapter and the publicity that was afforded the event was also instrumental in keeping the issues related to underage drinking and driving in front of the NYS Legislature at the time Sean’s Law and other measures were being debated. Sean’s Law was passed just a week before the first Sean’s Run, and subsequently the Legislature passed bills lowering of the DWI threshold to .08 BAC, and implementing the Graduated Junior License and the Keg Tagging laws. Frequently the case of Sean Patrick French was referenced in newspaper and TV coverage as the Legislature debated these bills.

Year 2 — 2003, 418 entrants.
In the second year, our efforts expanded, we added an Prevention Education Expo and we planned to begin to help other communities commence and support anti-underage drinking and impaired programs.

Through this growth of activity, Sean’s Run has become much more than a once-yearly community 5K run / community walk. By contributing the proceeds of the event to deserving youth groups, SADD, MADD and RID chapters, the Committee and our sponsors are using Sean’s Run as the catalyst to commence and support anti-underage drinking and impaired driving programs in other counties.

Year 3 — 2004, 612 entrants.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) process was developed to distribute the funds raised — $5,500 — in year two. Organizations were invited to propose exciting prevention and education activities that encourage safe choices and healthy lifestyles. Grants were awarded to eight (8) organizations from throughout the capital region were selected and presented cash awards, ranging from $500 to $1,500 to implement prevention programs that incorporate the effective strategies recommended by the National Highway Safety Administration.

The Committee created a website (www.SeansRun.com) prior to the third annual Sean’s Run which includes information about the scholarships, grants, 5K, Meghan'sMile and the Prevention Education Expo. In addition, our Constitution and By-Laws, annual budget and list of contributors are posted now at our website. Our sponsors, photos, press releases, news articles are also included. In year three we also started to memorialize other young people who have lost their lives in car crashes.

Year 4 — 2005, 648 entrants.
On April 24, 2005, grants awarded through the RFP process increased to $10,000 (the amount we raised in year #3) and 12 organizations benefited from proceeds earned at Sean’s Run. In addition, our work became a catalyst for the establishment of additional SADD chapters and has supported the efforts of the Columbia County District Attorney in coordinating the work of SADD chapters throughout the county.

Furthermore, a 12-county coalition comprised of law enforcement, District Attorneys, county and municipal governments, prevention specialists, schools and youth organizations used the 2005 Sean’s Run as the occassion to introduce the regional “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most” (PWHLTM) campaign. The Sean’s Run Committee encouraged the adoption of this nationally recognized strategy throughout the region as part of the 2006 Sean’s Run RFP process. Organizations that proposed strategies to advance the PWHLTM campaign in their communities were given extra consideration for cash awards from Sean’s Run.

Year 5 — The 5th Annual Sean’s Run, Sunday, April 23, 2006, despite a steady downpour, was our best to date — the most entrants, the most sponsors and contributors and we added two new elements:

• A special Tribute to Victims and Survivors of impaired driving crashes, and

• The World Championship Battle of the Belts seat belt contest for high school students.

We awarded 9 grants totaling $6,900 and the Sean Patrick French Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded scholarships to eight (8) more deserving college-bound seniors.

Year 6 — Held on Sunday, April 29, 2007, we built on the success of last year and further grew the event. 818 people registered in the 5K and SeansMile. We introduced Chip Timing to the event and for the first time we had results and awards posted within minutes of the finish of the 5K. We also started what will become an annual feature, Saturday Packet Pick Up. Nearly 350 people took advantage of this convenience for picking up their goodies a day early to avoid standing in line on event day. 10 more groups were presented grants and 10 more seniors were presented scholarships. Since Sean’s Run began in 2002, the proceeds have funded 38 grants, totaling $28000, and the Scholarship Fund has awarded 38 scholarships totaling $28,000.

Year 7— April 27, 2008. 1,085 entries – the most ever! We dedicated the event to Meghan Kraham, who as a 16 year-old helped organize the first Sean’s Run and served on our Organizing Committee until her untimely death at age 22 on August 18, 2008. She succumbed after a 6 month battle with a rare form of cancer. We miss Meghan’s smile. As of this event we’ve given away a total of $106,000 in scholarships, contributions and grants in seven years! The day started gloomy and overcast, the sun came out for the 5K – as was predicted during the opening ceremony by General Chairman Jeff French. First Niagara Bank Foundation was our Presenting Sponsor with a $10,000 contribution! We continued Saturday Packet Pick Up and moved the time for conducting the World Championship Battle of the Belts to 12:00 noon, before Meghan'sMile so more people had an opportunity to watch this fast-moving seatbelt buckling competition. Our website was completely rebuilt and we added the Register Star and Chatham Courier, Park Row Gallery and Hawthorne Valley Farm as sponsors.

Year 8 — April 26, 2009. 1,371 entries. 85 degrees, mostly sunny skies. We grew again – a 67% increase in entries in 2 years! 567 people registered on Saturday and Sunday. Because of the growing crowd, participants are finding parking places further and further from the high school. This year our staging area in the parking lot was fully decorated with bright banners and lots of colorful balloons. We awarded grants to 16 organizations, and 10 more scholarships to deserving seniors. Now we have given away $120,050 since the inception of this event. First Niagara Bank continued as our Presenting Sponsor. We renamed Sean’s Mile to Meghan’s Mile to honor and remember Meghan Kraham. 15 minutes before the start of Meghan’s Mile our timing company experienced a drop in power, shutting down their computers. With power quickly restored and computers re-booted, the event started 17 minutes after the advertised time of 12:30 PM. However, we were quick to get back on schedule and by 2:10 PM all awards had been presented for both races and the record crowd was dispensing to their cars having enjoyed another outstanding Sean’s Run.

Year 9 — April 24 & 25, 2010. 1,462 total entries, and another record. Saturday: 70 degrees and crystal clear skies. Sunday: 56 degrees, overcast and showers. Now Sean’s Run has become a 2-day event. We added our first ever Sea Jem’s Super Saturday Run for Special Needs Kids. 20 young people with a variety of disabilities participated and Sean’s Run became the first running event in the entire region to include a component for the special needs population. 373 people registered for the 5K and Meghan’s Mile on Saturday and Sunday. The cool and wet conditions were excellent for the fleet afoot and no deterrent to the special spirit of Sean’s Run. Grants were presented to 19 organizations in memory of Nancy Zygmon, our first Business Manager who succumbed to cancer last September.

Also, 10 more seniors were awarded scholarships. Now we have given away $135,550 since the inception of this event. First Niagara Bank continued as our Presenting Sponsor. Chocolate Milk was added to the refreshments menu. Race timing was nearly flawless and only 7 chips failed to find their way back to the timing company by the end of the day. The World Championship Battle of the Belts attracted 15 teams in the High School Division and 9 in the Middle School Division. The Chatham Police Department remained undefeated in the Law Enforcement Challenge component of the Battle of the Belts.

Every element of the 2 days went off on time as scheduled. Because of our largest turnout of volunteers, the Committee had everything cleaned up and we were off the school grounds by 3:30 PM, the earliest ever.

Year 10 – April 30 & May 1, 2011 - Our 10th running on May 1st was a hit under sterling blue skies and mid-70’s temperatures on both Saturday and Sunday. 

First Niagara Bank, our Presenting Sponsor, added 50 volunteers to our pool of 110.  Total registrations were 1,320. Chuck Terry, 28, of Albany repeated as 5K Champion (16:11) and Betsy Edinger, 17, of Greenwich won the women’s 5K division (19:45).  The one mile youth race, Meghan’s Mile, saw Erin Clark, 12, of Old Chatham win the girls race (6:34) and Chase Werner, 12, of Stuyvesant set a new course record in 5:51.

An elite-level performance and new 60-69 men’s age group record was produced on the 5K course by Bob Giambalvo, 61, from Delhi with a time to 18:41.  The 13-15 age group records were smashed in both gender divisions by Ross Wightman, 15, Chatham (17:49) and Madeline Montage, 15, Greenwich (20:31).

Sea Jem’s Super Saturday Run for Kids with Special Needs, in its second year, attracted participants from across the region. Meghan’s Mile and the 5K went off flawlessly and exactly on time.

Pine Plains Stissing Mt. High School won the title of World Champions in the Battle of the Belts that saw 12 high school teams and 7 middle school groups compete for bragging rights in the seatbelt buckling contest.  Our Prevention Education Expo had an increase in the numbers of visitors.

14 grants were awarded to schools and youth groups to implement programs that combat underage drinking and teens’ lax use of seatbelts.  We also awarded 6 scholarships to outstanding college-bound seniors.  To-date we gave given away $148,950 as scholarships to graduating seniors and as grants to schools and youth groups.

Year 11 – April 28 & 29, 2012 – Mostly sunny both days, Saturday 52 degrees, breezy, Sunday, 53 degrees, windy, gusts to 40mph.  1,375 entries total.

 First Niagara Bank, our Presenting Sponsor, added 25 volunteers to our pool of 75.  Total registrations were 1,375. Chuck Terry, 29, of Albany three-peated as 5K Champion (16:08).  Chuck is the first runner to win Sean’s Run three times.  Brina Seguine, 22, of Rensselaer won the women’s 5K division (19:11).  The one mile youth race, Meghan’s Mile, saw Samantha Taylor, 12, of Philmont win the girls race (6:41) and Noah Summers, 12, of Chatham win overall with a time of 6:39.

A new 13-15 female age group record (20:26), was set by Erin Clark, 13, of Old Chatham.  Another female age group record (21:28), for the 50-59 group, was set by Linnea Van Tassle, 51, of Ghent.

Sea Jem’s Super Saturday Run for Kids with Special Needs, in its third year, attracted 19 participants from across the region. Meghan’s Mile and the 5K went off flawlessly and exactly on time.

We added a new feature – the Sean’s Run Zumbathon® - on Saturday morning which attracted 65 participants and raised money to support Driver’s Education programming at Chatham High School.  We expect to continue this new activity next year.

Fonda-Fultonville High School SADD won the title of World Champions in the Battle of the Belts that saw 9 high school teams and 9 middle school groups compete for bragging rights in the seatbelt buckling contest.  Our Prevention Education was visited by many participants.

15 grants were awarded to schools and youth groups to implement programs that combat underage drinking and teens’ lax use of seatbelts.  We also awarded 6 scholarships to outstanding college-bound seniors.

To-date we gave given away $160,950 as scholarships to graduating seniors and as grants to schools and youth groups.

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