Annual ALS fundraiser takes different route this year

NAHANT – When Lynn native George Mazareas was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (or Lou Gehrig?s Disease as it is also known) back in 2003, it didn?t take long for his many friends to find a way to show their support for him and his family and at the same time, fight back against the devastating disease.They started having an annual “Gathering of Friends” that not only brought together his friends and neighbors in Nahant, but also the many people from throughout the Greater Lynn area who know him. The annual event raised more than $250,000 to benefit ALS research and it heightened awareness of the disease.This year, family and friends are doing something a little different in lieu of the “Gathering of Friends.”Vova Aleksanyan, a 23-year-old from Salem who manages Seaside Variety in Nahant, will run the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 4, as a member of the Prize4Life charity team.Cynthia Mazareas, George Mazareas? wife, said Aleksanyan has been an avid supporter of the ALS community. Last spring he ran the Boston Marathon (his first marathon) in honor of Earl Hanson, another Nahant resident who was had ALS for 17 years.Aleksanyan will wear a T-shirt in the NYC marathon that reads “Running for George.” The Mazareas family and those who have been involved in the annual “Gathering of Friends” are hoping that the many people who supported the event over the years will support Aleksanyan by donating funds to Prize4Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to “accelerating the discovery of treatments and cures for ALS.” Both George and Cynthia Mazareas are on the board of directors. The goal is to raise $25,000 by Dec. 31.?We talked to Vova and asked him if he was interested in running,” Cynthia Mazareas said. “This is his second marathon this year. He?s very enthusiastic about running.”Mazareas said Aleksanyan was always helpful when it came to putting up fliers in Seaside Variety for a “Gathering of Friends.”?I think part of what motivates him is his personal sense of respect for them (her husband and Eric Hanson) and being inspired by who they are and what they have made out of unfortunate circumstances,” Mazareas said.Aleksanyan, who is a friend of Hanson?s daughter, said running the Boston Marathon was something he always wanted to do.?It?s the marathon of all marathons. I wanted to do it for the experience,” he said about Boston.Although he doesn?t know what to expect running two marathons in one year, he?s excited to give it a go. He continue to run after Boston, but he stepped up his training considerably a month or so ago once it was confirmed that he would be one of the four Prize4Life charity runners.Aleksanyan said he started to get into running when he was a freshman on the English High School baseball team. He said coach Joe Caponigro tried to instill in his players the importance of developing stamina to outlast opponents and that meant lots of running. Aleksayan only played baseball for a few years, but he didn?t stop running.?We thought this would be something different to do this year,” Cynthia Mazareas said. “We certainly plan to get a ?Gathering of Friends? together next fall, but we saw this as an opportunity to do some creative fundraising.”Mazareas said it would be very difficult for the family to not have the “Gathering of Friends.”?It?s like fuel in our gas tank. We get to see a lot of people George doesn?t get to see during the year. The amount of support and love that comes out of that night gets us through the year,” she said.How to Help Donations can be made to Prize4Life and mailed to George Mazareas, 22 Phillips Road, Nahant, 01908. Go to crowdrise.com/running4george for more information.
Joyce Erekson can be reached at [email protected].