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MCLA's Sam Gomez 5K Continues as Virtual Event

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MCLA’s Student Government Association will host the first-ever Virtual Sam Gomez Road Race from 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 30 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 3.
 
The race will begin in conjunction with MCLA's virtual Take Back the Night event on April 30 to stand against sexual assault, harassment, and domestic violence and to continue to support the Elizabeth Freeman Center.
 
Participants are not required to register. Simply run or walk a 5K of your choice the weekend of May 1 and submit a photo of yourself on the run to sga@mcla.edu to receive an e-certificate to commemorate your race. You can also post your photo on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #virtualsamgomez. Additional donations to the Elizabeth Freeman Center will also be encouraged through SGA’s donation page.
 
More information is available at mcla.edu/samgomez.
 
The Sam Gomez Road Race is one of the oldest races in Berkshire County and has been a successful North Adams tradition for 41 years, thanks to the generosity of our loyal sponsors and the support of the local running community.
 
The organizations sponsoring this year’s race are:
 
♦ Gold: Donovan O'Connor & Dodig, LLP
♦ Silver: Adams Community Bank; Bright Ideas Brewing; rk Miles; Sawyer, LLC
♦ Bronze: Beck’s Printing Company, Inc.; Countryside Landscape Services; Gajda, Arnold & McConnell PC; Liberty Mutual; LOK, Inc. D/B/A Angelina's Sub Shop; Mount Williams Greenhouses Inc.; Peter Jones Trophies; Souliere & Zepka Construction, Inc.; Wild Oats Market
♦ Other Sponsors: H.A. George & Sons Fuel Corp
 
Sam Gomez was a professor at MCLA (then North Adams State College) and founded the school’s cross country team. He believed in the importance of the relationship between the local community and MCLA.
 
In honor of Gomez and his legacy of giving back to the Berkshire community, each year SGA selects a Berkshire County charity to receive the proceeds from the race bearing Gomez’ name. With the help of local sponsors, SGA has raised more than $27,000 for Berkshire-based organizations over the last 16 years.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Vermont National Guard Members Depart From North Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

About 50 people waved flags to the see the Guardsmen off on their bus. The members were staying in North Adams because of a lack of hotel rooms in Bennington, Vt.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Residents came together Friday to see some Vermont National Guard members off.
 
The American Legion Riders organized a send off for a group of 75 or so Guard members who were staying at Hotel Downstreet.
 
"We are going to escort them to the Bennington Armory," Riders President Mike Lewis said. "They are going to gear up there, and then I am not sure where they are going. I don’t even know if they are all going to the same place."
 
Fifty or so people met in the Hotel Downstreet parking lot to show their appreciation. They waved flags and held signs. A bagpiper was also present.
 
The Riders contacted the Fire Department who helped organize the send off. North Adams Police cruisers and Northern Berkshire EMS were also on site to help see the bus off.
 
Lewis said there was not enough rooms in Bennington for the National Guard members. He added because of the trend to use vacant hotel rooms as low-income housing, the group had to look toward North Adams.
 
It's not clear where these Guard were off to, but about 500 members of 3-172 Infantry Battalion were expected to go to the Middle East with U.S. Central Command. According to Vermont Digger, this deployment was scheduled prior to the strikes on Iran. 
 
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