SAUGUS — The Gold Star Run is back in town for its ninth season and registration for the event is now open.
The annual road race is held by The Procopio Companies, a real estate development and construction management firm, in honor of Scott Procopio, a beloved family member who was killed in action in Iraq in 2006.
“It has been almost 16 years since we lost Scott in Ramadi,” said CEO Michael Procopio, Scott’s brother. “The Gold Star Run for Honor is not only our way of continuing to pay tribute to Scott, but to represent and support our community and those who have lost a loved one in the same way. We’re proud to honor Scott’s memory and to carry on his good will within the community.”
To honor Scott’s memory, the entirety of the proceeds of the Gold Star Run support the Cpl. Scott Procopio Memorial Scholarship, which has raised more than $250,000 in scholarships and assistance to local schools and has also granted educational scholarships and opportunities to children, siblings, and spouses of United States Armed Forces members killed in action.
In two years ― from 2019 to 2021 ― the Gold Star Run disbursed more than $80,000 toward high school seniors’ continuing education.
The race will take place on May 28 and will start at 8 a.m. at Town Hall.
The race is open to all ages and abilities, with participants given the option to either walk or run the course. There will also be a quarter-mile “Kids Fun Run” course for children under 10, which will begin at 7:45 a.m. at the closed-off rotary and will finish under the High5EM finish archway.
For adults and children over 10, there will be 1K, 5K, or 10K races for runners and a 1-mile walk as well. All participants will receive custom-designed race bibs and finisher medals.
Local corporations wishing to get involved with the Gold Star Run can participate in the second-annual Corporate Cup Challenge on race day; the Corporate Cup is expected to have 15 supporting corporations this year, each competing for the Corporate Challenge Cup. Participating teams of three employees each are divided into three divisions: women only, men only, and co-ed.
For more information on the Gold Star Run and to register online, please visit https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Saugus/GoldStarRunforHonor.
The Procopio Companies, a fourth-generation firm based in Lynnfield, has developed luxury single-family developments, multi-family apartments and condominiums, mixed-use and commercial-industrial projects throughout New England for more than 70 years. For more information, please visit procopiocompanies.com.
