Rhode Island State Troopers To Run Boston Marathon

CRANSTON, RI - From the Rhode Island State Police: Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety, announces that a team of eight Rhode Island State Troopers will run the Boston Marathon on Monday (April 16, 2018) to raise money for Cops for Kids with Cancer.

This is the 16th year that Rhode Island State Troopers have participated in the Boston Marathon and it is the 6th straight year that they have done so to raise money for this charitable organization, which provides money to assist families who have children with cancer.

Trooper Amy Jackman, a spokeswoman for the Rhode Island State Police Boston Marathon Team, said they have raised nearly $13,500 so far and hope to collect even more donations in the coming days. In addition, the team is selling t-shirts to assist in the fundraising efforts.

Their goal is to raise at least $15,000, which would allow them to give $5,000 apiece to three Rhode Island families – as they did last year, Trooper Jackman said. Last year’s team also raised $15,000, which was given to three local families to assist with medical costs and other expenses.

This year’s Rhode Island State Police Marathon Team includes two veteran marathoners – Sgt. Ronald
Longolucco, who will be running his fifth Boston Marathon, and Trooper Jackman, who will be running her third. It will be the first Boston Marathon for the other six Troopers -- Jared Andrews, Robert Bentsen, Robert Fox, Lisa Hanley, Kathryn Hirsch and Andrew Phillips.

“This year, like every year, we are all running for the children -- and their families – who are affected by
cancer,” Trooper Jackman said. “We all have known someone, or have been associated with someone, who has or is affected with cancer. The families who have children affected always hits a little harder, and we run for them.”

The Rhode Island State Police Marathon Team is among several teams of law enforcement officers running for the Cops for Kids with Cancer charity, which has raised nearly $2.6 million since it was founded in 2002. To donate to the Rhode Island State Troopers Boston Marathon Team’s fundraising efforts, visit their fundraising pages on the Cops for Kids with Cancer website:
https://copsforkidswithcancer.org/team-list/.

Photo by Mike Carraggi, Patch Staff