Andrej 5K Fun Run honors RHAM teacher

WILLIMANTIC — The second annual “Andrej 5K” will take place Sept. 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Mansfield Hollow State Park. The fun run/walk is in honor of Andrej Cavarkapa, an avid runner and high school teacher who died in January 2017 while jogging near his home in West Hartford. The event was created to keep the educator’s spirit alive, as well as to raise funds for his memorial endowed scholarship at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Cavarkapa was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzcegovina, in 1987, the son of Branko and Aleksandra Cavarkapa. He was 4 years old when his family moved to the United States. He graduated from Eastern in 2009 with degrees in biology and biochemistry, and received his master’s degree in secondary education from Eastern in 2012.

Cavarkapa was a science teacher at RHAM High School in Hebron, where he was known as “Mr. C.” He was passionate about his job and worked to make physics and chemistry accessible to all students. His interest included art, music, environmental activism and running.

The Andrej Cavarkapa Memorial Endowed Scholarship honors Cavarkapa’s passion for running and education by assisting biology majors with financial need, with a preference for RHAM graduates.

Last year, 190 people ran or walked in the inaugural Andrej 5K. All are welcome to run or walk the trail — including dogs — although the terrain is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs.

Those unable to attend are encouraged to run or walk in solidarity. People from as far as Hawaii and Idaho participated last year.

Entrants can register for the run at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2ndannualandrej5krunwalktickets53841399074. All proceeds will go to Cavarkapa’s memorial endowed scholarship. Be a sponsor of the event and donate directly to the scholarship by filling out the Andrej Cavarkapa Memorial Endowed Scholarship sponsorship form, found at https://ecsufoundation.com/andrej5ksponsorship