LYNN — After eight hours and 12 minutes, School Committee member Brian Castellanos crossed the finish line of his second virtual marathon on Saturday.
Castellanos ran to raise money for scholarships for Lynn seniors — now the graduated Class of 2021 — after the pandemic altered their high-school experience.
Castellanos hatched the idea after running a virtual marathon for the Class of 2020; he decided to continue the tradition of a “Covid-19 Redemption Run” for the Class of 2021, acknowledging the tremendous impact the pandemic had on those students.
“It was my fondest memory of my senior year that compelled me to embark on this journey,” Castellanos said. “(I want) to be a voice for those students who have been impacted by this pandemic.”
Castellanos could be seen braving the heat Saturday as he ran through downtown Lynn, Pine Hill, Wyoma Square, the beach and other neighborhoods throughout the city.
Many friends and family met Castellanos at various locations throughout his run, encouraging him and showing their support, some even running a couple miles with him.
“I want to extend my deepest gratitude for all of the support I had out there (today),” Castellanos said after he completed his run. “It was a treacherous day, but my desire to keep my word was much greater.”
He said hearing people beep and yell in support as he ran was one thing that kept him going.
The School Committee member also stopped at the firehouse on Western Avenue halfway through his 26.64 mile journey, where he met up with his father and was given an American Flag to carry for the rest of his run.
To try to avoid peak temperatures on the 90-degree day, Castellanos began running at 5 a.m. He said he was nervous about getting heat stroke, so he aimed a lot of his focus on staying hydrated and keeping his composure while preserving energy.
“I had to maintain my mental toughness to get through it,” Castellanos said.
He also credited the hard work and resilience of the students in the Class of 2021 for motivating him to push through.
“All of the students are awesome in so many ways,” he said. “I’m inspired by them. I can’t leave my house without wanting to put in work for these kids.”
He emphasized how important this scholarship program is to him and the students involved, saying that it means so much to give back and spread positivity.
Through this scholarship, Castellanos appointed three seniors from Lynn’s public schools to serve as ambassadors to the scholarship: Carlos Prudencio (English), Sailor Brinkler (Classical) and Brian Lopez (Lynn Vocational Technical Institute).
The ambassadors will work with Castellanos in the upcoming months to create an application process and eligibility requirements for the scholarship.
They will work alongside Castellanos to provide suggestions and ideas as to how the scholarship will best benefit those who apply.
Applications will primarily consist of a one-page essay explaining how COVID-19 affected the applicants.
Castellanos said they will probably award scholarships in the amount of $500. He added that he has now raised more than $7,000, and is still accepting donations through his GoFundMe page and via check. Checks can be made out to the Lynn Business Education Foundation, whom Castellanos said has been a “phenomenal partner” during this process. Checks can be sent to 693 Western Ave. Unit 402, Lynn, MA 01905.
Castellanos said donations will be open for the next couple of weeks. He plans to announce the names of scholarship recipients by the end of July or early August.
