On Oct. 12, Allentown Central Catholic High School (ACCHS) students, teachers, staff, parents, and alums, and members of the Allentown community gathered for their third annual 5k walk/run at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown to raise money for ACCHS athletics and the Central City Project.
Among those runners were Mike Connelly, president of the Adaptive Running Chair organization “Celebrate Life Always”; ACCHS students Christian Connelly and Lucas Mushrush; and Mercy School for Special Learning, Allentown teacher Vickie McHale and paraprofessional Britteny Csaszar. They were all there to push and run alongside Ashlyn Tatasciore, a student at Mercy.
Valerie Versmee, Diocesan Program Manager for Eastern Pennsylvania Scholarship Foundation, saw the ACCHS 5k as an exceptional opportunity to engage Mercy students who are wheelchair users in community races. Although there is a “Best Friends Forever” program between ACCHS and Mercy, this partnership race is unique in its origin.
With the support of Mark Napierkowski, Development Director at Mercy, and Mike Connelly, president of Celebrate Life Always, a team was built to run alongside Ashlyn.
According to her parents, Mike and Sheila Tataschiore, Ashlyn, an 11-year-old wheelchair-bound and mute student from Mercy, had never taken part in a race before. It was due to the partnership that she was given the chance to participate in an event like this.
Ashlyn's teacher, Vickie McHale, came to make sure she was OK during the race. She called Ashlyn "full of joy" and a "great ambassador for Mercy School" and explained, “[Ashlyn] is all into it. She is ready to go.” Like Ashlyn's parents, McHale was thankful for the opportunity that was being provided for Ashlyn.
Mike Connelly, an ACCHS parent, is very aware of the mobility issues that some families face. He lost two of his children to neuroaxonal dystrophy, a rare neurological disorder.
In the years after the loss of two of his children, Connelly began dreaming up and eventually created his not-for-profit organization in 2016 to "raise awareness about Adaptive Running Chairs and to donate Adaptive Running Chairs to communities."
Connelly has participated in several races pushing those with mobility challenges in Adaptive Running Chairs and, therefore, was ready and excited to be involved in this first partnership with Mercy on the run.
In addition to Connelly's involvement, his son, Christian, an ACCHS student and athlete, reached out to friends at the school to run and cheer Ashlyn on. Christian Connelly expressed during the race that he and his father hope to continue this partnership on runs between ACCHS and Mercy.
Christian's friend, Lucas Mushrush, also an athlete at ACCHS, pushed Ashlyn for the race’s last leg and across the finish line. Ashlyn’s parents could be seen cheering on the team as they approached and crossed the finish line.
To be a part of next year’s ACCHS 5k Run/Walk, email Andrea Keenan at [email protected].
For more information on Mercy School for Special Learning, go to www.mercyschool.org.
For more information on Celebrate Love Always and Adaptive Running Chairs, go to www.celebratelovealways.org.
By Annaleigh Gidosh. Photo from The Morning Call.
