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Benefit race for scholarship in name of jogger killed by driver reaches goal
By Bob Jackson
AUSTINTOWN
Brittany Szwedko ran dozens of races during her brief lifetime, but it’s the two races in which she couldn’t participate for which she will always be remembered.
The second, and final, Brittany Szwedko Memorial 5K and Dog Walk took place Sunday at Austintown Township Park on Kirk Road. Proceeds from Sunday’s event and from last year’s inaugural race, were to raise money for a $1,000 scholarship to be awarded each year, in Brittany’s name, to a marketing student at Youngstown State University.
“We reached our goal,” said Brittany’s mom, Mary Kay Szwedko. “We needed to raise $25,000 to make the scholarship happen, and we’ve done that.” About $20,000 was raised last year, and another $10,000 or so this year.
She explained that the race is “very emotional,” and that she now lives an hour away in Aurora, so she decided that two races were enough.
“I’m blessed with the support we have from the community and from our family and friends,” she said.
Brittany, 27, was jogging along Ridge Road in Fowler Township in Trumbull County when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Russell G. Laurer III of Cortland just more than a year ago. Lauer was sentenced last month to nine years in prison on charges that included aggravated vehicular homicide.
“I will never forget it, and now that the trial is over, I can start to heal,” said Mary Kay. “This [event] is a celebration of Brittany’s life.”
Some 200 participants, most wearing bright pink T-shirts with a picture of Brittany and one of her two rescue dogs, took to the trails Sunday to honor Brittany. The event was in conjunction with Legacy Dog Rescue.
“The two loves of her life were dogs and running,” said Dan Lanese, Mary Kay’s fiance. “Brittany ran all over. It didn’t matter where it was. If there was a race, she wanted to be there.”
Her two rescue dogs, a Shetland collie named Penny and a border collie named Ted, now live with Mary Kay and Lanese. Penny was pictured on the T-shirt with Brittany this year, while Ted was on last year’s shirt.
As the race participants readied at the starting line, the song “I Lived” by One Republic played over a public-address system.
Oliver Thwaite of All Sports Timing Race Management said the song was chosen by Mary Kay because it reminded her of Brittany.
Blase Brush of Legacy Dog Rescue said he didn’t know Brittany when she was alive. But when donations started pouring into the rescue’s post office box and PayPal account in her name, he knew he wanted to do something to help her family honor her own legacy.
“I didn’t want this to be something where we just got all this money and thought that was really nice,” he said. “There had to be more. I wanted a way to keep her memory going forever.”
So he attended Brittany’s calling hours, met Mary Kay, and followed up with more in-depth conversations weeks later. Together, they devised the plans for the first memorial run and walk. He likes the idea that proceeds will fund a scholarship that will always bear Brittany’s name.
“This will keep going long after all of us are gone,” said Brush. “As long as Youngstown State University is standing, someone will get a scholarship in Brittany’s name.”
A marketing student will receive the scholarship because Brittany worked for ten years in the public relations department at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library.