HAVERHILL — The annual Sapienza Memorial Road Race was close to being canceled earlier this year when organizers learned they might be charged $1,000 for police details. The problem was resolved and on Thursday night it went on with an estimated 1,000 people lining the route to see the 200 runners ranging in age from 13 to 86.
The race, which has been held for 21 years, raises money for a $1,000 scholarship at Haverhill High School that is awarded annually to a graduate who participated in athletics and plans to study mathematics in college.
The late Tony Sapienza taught mathematics at Haverhill High for more than 28 years.
Sapienza's daughter, Toni Donais, who organizes the race, said this year's event raised $2,000, and that it was marked by the participation of many runners her late father ran with in the 1950s and 60s.
"The start of the race was really impressive, with a lot of old-time runners showing up," Donais said. "They brought their children, who are now runners, and it was very much a family event this year."
Donais said Haverhill High teachers volunteered, as usual, by taking runner registrations, passing out T-shirts and handing out water to runners along the route.
The race also gave out more prizes than ever, Donais said.
"We handed out cases of bottled water donated by Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Spring Hill Farm," Donais said. "We gave out 40 coffee cakes donated by Boston Coffee Cake, a family portrait donated by Mark Lawrence Studios, 500 bags of pita chips from Regenie's in Ward Hill, bread donated by Fantini Bakery, gift certificates from local businesses, including the Essex Street Grill, White Street Paint and more."
The race was close to being canceled this year when she heard that the city's Police Department was going to charge $1,000 for police details along the race route.
Donais said she told Mayor James Fiorentini that the $1,000 charge for police details would severely cut into the money raised for the scholarship fund.
As it turned out, Donais said, police Chief Alan DeNaro worked with the City Council and arrived at a new policy for providing events such as these with police auxiliary details at no charge.
"A number of officers called me to donate their time," Donais said. "The police union also gave us a $500 donation and more than 20 local businesses gave us hundreds of dollars in prizes."
Runners paid $15 in advance to register or $20 on the day of the race. The four-mile race started on Monument Street, with runners traveling down North Broadway to Vale Street, then to Hilldale Avenue and back to the high school ending on the Sapienza Memorial Track.
"The auxiliary police outdid themselves as they had every corner of the race route covered," Donais said. "They arrived early to plan the day, and they really went above and beyond their duties. Chief DeNaro assigned them so we thank him — as when push came to shove he really came through."
