Ryan Harrington died from a heroin overdose in May 2011. ~ Courtesy of The Ryan Harrington Foundation

By Emily Blackwood

Ryan Harrington was a great kid. Though he played sports, had a lot of friends and knew how to make you laugh, he was probably best known for his kind heart and generous spirit.

One time, his father Dave Harrington recalled, Ryan’s family bought a few new mattresses for the kids. Soon after they arrived, a neighbor called Dave and said that one of those mattresses was currently heading down the street.

Ryan had recently met a mother and her baby, and she told him they had been sleeping on the floor of an apartment.

“He brought that mattress to her house so she’d have somewhere to sleep other than the floor,” Dave said. “He was that type of kid.”

When Ryan was around 16-years-old, he went to a school dance and took OxyContin. His one-time use quickly became a habit, and soon Ryan dropped out of high school and was addicted to heroin.

“He was in and out numerous halfway houses, detox centers,” Dave said. “He had some really good times in recovery and other times he wasn’t good at all.”

Ryan battled his addiction for 12 years and died from a heroin overdose when he was just 26. Because of his spirit of giving that manifested itself even in his lowest points, Dave and Cathy Harrington knew they wanted to give back.

If they could help just one person struggling the way their son had struggled, then it would be worth it.

A year after Ryan’s death, they started The Ryan Harrington Foundation, a Somerville-based 501c3 that strengthens the community through financial support of youth organizations, charity drives and material support for young men and women struggling to fight addiction.

“It broke our hearts, his passing, but he’d be happy because we’ve helped a few of his friends and people who were in similar situations,” Dave said. “Our inspiration is from Ryan.”

The Ryan Harrington Foundation will host its third-annual Just One Run 5K in memory of Anthony Giurleo, a young man from Medford who died from addiction in 2015. The run will begin at 10 a.m., June 3 at the Blessing of the Bay Boat House, 32 Shore Drive. Registration is $30 for adults and kids over the age of 13 and $15 for kids under the age of 12. There will also be a free Fun Run for kids 12 and under as well as plenty of family activities.

Register for the race online by visiting www.ryanharringtonfoundation.org.