Sixth annual Sasha's Superhero Run raises funds for children in Ukraine
HALFMOON, N.Y. » The sixth annual Sasha’s Superhero Run took on new significance this year as it continues to help families both near and far.
The 5K run/walk, which was held on Sunday morning at Halfmoon Town Park, is organized by the family and friends of a local boy, Sasha, who passed away unexpectedly as a baby on Christmas Eve in 2016. The superhero theme of the event was adopted to honor parents whose babies and children passed before their time, as it takes superhuman strengths to go on after a child dies. The event aims to help families to connect and honor the memory of their children.
In five years since its inception, the race has donated $54,300 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region, helping provide housing, meals, and support to families of seriously ill children treated in area hospitals.
Since Sasha’s family is Ukrainian, the 2022 event is raising funds for the children of Ukraine affected by the war waged on its territory.
This year’s race proceeds — which totaled more than $30,000 — will be split between the Global Ronald McDonald House Charities and several volunteer groups based in Ukraine and currently providing direct assistance to displaced children and their families.
While this local tradition all started in Sasha’s memory, “It’s become way more than my son over the years,” said organizer Olya Prevo-White, of Mechanicville, Sasha’s mother. “It’s a gathering point for people that lost their child. For many, it’s an opportunity to say their child’s name outside their family, because the further you are from the moment that your child dies, the less opportunity you have to say their name … This is an opportunity for people to share their grief, to share that search for lightness, or to celebrate that spirit that people have when they go on despite the most awful circumstances.”
The sentiment is similar regarding the war in Ukraine, said Prevo-White, who is originally from Kyiv and still has family in Ukraine. “What’s happening in Ukraine right now is obviously awful, but there’s so much beautiful energy that people generate as a result of these horrific events,” she said. “I think that energy is the same among people that lost a child or among people that are helping in the horrific war.”
More information about Sasha’s Superhero Run, along with a link for donations, is available online at sashasrun.com.