12th Annual Daffodil Run Raises $50,000 For Big Brothers/Big Sisters Of Hampshire County With Return To In Person Race

Source: Brian Fitzgerald, Center for Human Developement

The 12h Annual Daffodil Run for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County returned as in-person event after two years of virtual racing. The run took place starting at the Amherst Town Common on Sunday, April 24, 2022. During its 12 years, the number of event participants has ranged from a few hundred runners to over 800 runners. The virtual Daffodil Runs in 2020 and 2021 had about 300 participants. Roughly 400 runners and walkers registered for this year’s event which hit its fundraising target of $50,000.

Top Finishers In The 5k Race (for full 5k race results look here).
Women’s Open (Name, Town, Age, Bib Number, Finish Time, Mile Pace)
1 SUSANA BRENA AMHERST MA 53 1514 11 23:12.3 7:26/M
2 JANET HAN AMHERST MA 21 1569 14 24:08.1 7:43/M
3 LAURA BETE WILLIAMSTOWN MA 32 1508 17 25:15.6 8:04/M

Men’s Open (Name, Town, Age, Bib Number, Finish Time, Mile Pace)
1 HENRY DOMNARSKI WARE MA 24 1539 1 17:12.4 5:31/M
2 MANNY WINEMAN NORTHAMPTON MA 43 1688 2 17:54.4 5:44/M
3 SERGIO BRENA AMHERST MA 57 1513 3 20:09.1 6:28/M

Top Finishers In The 10k Race (for full 10k race results look here).
Women’s Open (Name, Town, Age, Bib Number, Finish Time, Mile Pace)
1 JENNIFER ALLI SOUTHAMPTON MA 38 1400 7 42:37.5 6:50/M
2 JODI STEVENS AMHERST MA 49 1764 15 46:41.0 7:31/M
3 JOELLEN REINO SOUTH DEERFIELD 58 1643 16 47:06.8 7:35/M

Men’s Open (Name, Town, Age, Bib Number, Finish Time, Mile Pace)
Place Name City Age Bib No Overall Time Pace
1 BEN WHITBECK GREENFIELD MA 45 1480 1 37:38.3 6:04/M
2 GRANT GONZALES MOUNTHERMON MA 36 1776 2 37:52.3 6:06/M
3 MATT CAIN AMHERST MA 50 1413 3 38:23.6 6:11/M

Additional race photos.

Organizers Celebrate Successful Return of In Person Race
Susan Nicastro, Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, commented:  

“I could not be more thrilled with the success of our 12^th Annual Daffodil Run! This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year and makes it possible to carry out our mission to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County makes meaningful matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and youth (“Littles”), with the aim of developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.” 

Ann Walsh, Development and Partnerships Manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County and event director, shared the following: 

“What a beautiful event that came together because of the incredibly supportive sponsors, volunteers, and totally committed Daffodil Run Planning Committee and Advisory Board members who put this event together in just a little over two months. We are delighted with the results! We’ve each witnessed the profound effect of our program on the lives of young people and their mentors, and raising funds and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County programing is an enduring commitment for all of us.” 

Katie Lipsmeyer, BBBS Advisory Board Member, Daffodil Run Planning Committee Member, and past Development Manager at BBBS, shared the following: 

“How inspiring it was to see the Daffodil Run come back in full force! The pandemic has only made mentoring services for our area youth more crucial, and the strong showing of community support at this year’s race was truly heartwarming.” 

Major sponsors included Lia Toyota, Applied Mortgage, iHeart Media, People’s Bank, Florence Bank, Taylor Rental, Soundscape Merchandise, Amherst Copy & Design Works, Five College Realtors, Greenfield Savings Bank, Taylor Rental, Finck and Perras, and Cooley Dickinson Hospital.