Photos by Aaron Silber ’26/Staff
In wake of the sudden passing of beloved Principal and friend Sean A. Hughes, the Sean Hughes Tribute Committee has been working tirelessly to honor his memory. Presently, the committee is raising money for the planned Sean A. Hughes Memorial Garden and Plaza, which will be located on the hill between LM and the administration building. The committee has organized many fundraisers, including the Character Counts 5K and Fun Run. In addition to an entry fee, participants had the opportunity to contribute to the fundraiser by purchasing raffle tickets for a variety of prizes.
On October 22, over 300 runners gathered on Arnold Field to participate in the 5K. The race began at 9:00, followed by the one mile fun run at 9:15. Once the race concluded, participants and volunteers gathered near the future site of the memorial garden for the presentation of awards and raffle drawings.
In addition to the hundreds of race participants, many members of the LM community supported the event by volunteering. Kirsten Lawson, a former student of Hughes, volunteered her time saying, “This event is bringing the community together to celebrate his life and raise awareness for the fundraising that we’re trying to do. He would’ve loved to be here.” Lawson helped organize the raffle drawings along with Hughes’ wife and children who drew the winning raffle tickets. Raffle prizes included Philadelphia Eagles merchandise, workout equipment, and fitness class vouchers.
The girls’ cross country team and coaches Marchelle Else and Sean Capkin served as course marshalls, helped sell raffle tickets, and organized registration. When asked why she chose to volunteer, cross country runner Clara Burr-Brown ’24 said, “I care a lot about the Hughes cause and was excited to help out.” The cross country team was not the only LM team to help out; the girls’ field hockey team ran the 5K together while their coaches walked the Fun Run. Team captain Rachel Riggio ’24 comments on how the run fostered team camaraderie stating, “It was important to our team because we got to be together and raise money for the foundation.”
Hughes’ longtime friend and former roommate Curt Burkholder also assisted in running the event. He is a member of the Sean A. Hughes Memorial Fund Steering Committee, along with LM community members Amy Buckman, Jill Knight, and Brady McHale. Burkholder had this to say about the run: “Character truly did count to Sean and he was somebody that always wanted to give back to the community. It was tragic that we lost him and it’s tragic that people didn’t get to know him, but I think what LM’s doing is great and what the community is doing for him is even better.”
