Run For A Cause

Every year in May for the last twelve years, hundreds of runners gather around Franklin Lake in West Long Branch to run in the Michael Thorne Scholarship 4-Mile Run. 

The race is named after Michael Thorne, a West Long Branch resident and volunteer firefighter who lost his life battling a blaze in Wilson Hall at Monmouth College (now known as Monmouth University) back on July 3, 1984. He was only 20 years old at the time. 

In 2002, members of Michael’s fire company (West Long Branch Fire Company #2) and volunteers from the area came together to form the scholarship run in his memory as a way to provide money for area students entering college. The race runs entirely through the Borough of West Long Branch, the town where Michael grew up in. 100% of all the race’s proceeds go directly to fund all the scholarships. 

Both of my children benefitted from Thorne scholarships. In 2008, my daughter received one just prior to starting her freshman year at Cabrini College. Right now, she’s about a year away from graduating from Kean University with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health.  My son Christian received a Thorne scholarship last year just before heading up to the University of Rochester. 

This year was an opportunity for my family to participate in the Thorne run. My daughter Anne Marie, who’s an avid runner and fitness enthusiast, ran in this year’s race and finished as the fifth woman to cross the finish line and first in her age bracket. My wife joined her this year as well, walking the course instead of running it like my daughter did. 

I had the pleasure of knowing Michael as both a friend and as a firefighter. We were both in the fire company’s junior auxiliary in 1976. I joined the company when I turned 18 in 1977, and Michael joined in 1982. Both of us followed in our fathers’ footsteps, as both our dads were volunteer firefighters in the same company that we both joined. Michael’s dad also served as a police officer in town, achieving the rank of police chief. 

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since Michael’s passing, yet his memory lives on in the hearts and minds of all those who knew him. On the website for the scholarship run (http://thornescholarshiprun.org), the following quote is listed as a tribute to the life he led that was unfortunately cut short by tragedy: 

“Every blade in the field – every leaf in the forest – lays down its life in its season as beautifully as it was taken up.” – Henry David Thoreau 

(The entire Jersey Shore Retro Blogography can be found at http://longbranch.patch.com/blogs/kevin-cieris-blog .You can also follow Kevin Cieri's blog on his Facebook page, "Jersey Shore Retro" as well as on Twitter @jsretro).