— Photos by Rachel Weil, SHC staff

The runners crowded the starting line, eager to take off and see who would be fastest. Christopher Antunes won the race, finishing at 15:59 — and Acmae el Yacoubi placed as the overall fastest woman at 18:54.

A new fundraising record was set this year, with $85,000 raised from the Somerville Homeless Coalition’s 5K Road Race on October 7, 2017 — besting last year’s record of $77,000!  The field of support was deep with dozens of sponsors, led by Ames Business Park and followed by the Somerville Road Runners, Callahan Construction and Whole Foods. Over 900 runners and walkers registered, and more than 30 individuals collected over $12,000 in donations from friends, family, and colleagues to further support the work of the Coalition.

Shawn Szturma was the top fundraiser for the fourth year in a row and received the Steve Burton Award! His desire to help prevent families from becoming homeless motivates him, stating, “With all the resources we have in America, homelessness shouldn’t exist.  Yet it does.  I hope that my fundraising for the Somerville Homeless Coalition will help some families and kids keep a home and break the cycle of poverty.”

Shawn Szturma and Connor Evans

The second highest fundraiser, at over $1,500, was 12-year-old Connor Evans, who also placed second in his age group for the race!  “Sometimes I see people in Davis Square sitting out in the cold and begging for food, so I decided I wanted to try and make a difference,” explained Connor.

“We’re grateful for all the support we received from our partners — businesses and individuals alike — that allows us to do our work.  And as difficult as it is for people to be poor in our society, having Connor want to make a difference when he’s 12 years old gives me real hope for the future.  Working together we can make a difference in our community.”

The Somerville Homeless Coalition helps homeless and near-homeless families and individuals get the help they need to access and maintain safe, affordable, permanent housing.  Operating two shelters, offering case management and supportive housing services, and providing prevention assistance for those at-risk of becoming homeless, as well as running the Project SOUP food pantry and meals program, SHC helped over 2,000 people last year.  (For more information about SHC, ways to get involved, and a complete list of sponsors and winners for this year’s 5K, visit www.shcinc.org

— Somerville Homeless Coalition Staff