2011 STONEHAM THEATRE RUN FOR THE YOUNG COMPANY
On April 18th Team Stoneham Theatre will run from Hopkinton to Boston, by way of Heartbreak Hill, to raise friends & funds for Stoneham Theatre's young artists program the young company.
They have each pledged to raise a minimum of $5,000 by April 30th for the theatre's educational mission. Last year we raised a record $53,000. This year we plan to raise $55,000, so please help them reach their goals.
Click here to follow each runners progress on the team blog!
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Mandy Ladner  |
Michelle LeBlanc  |
Landers Symes 
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Melissa Symes Patalano  |
Melisa Thorne  |
Rick Van Arnam  |
Donor Levels
Copley Square ($2,5000 +)
Lunch for 2 at L'Espalier (774 Boylston Street) on race day watching the runners complete the race.
20 Free tickets to a Stoneham Theatre production.
Gallery available for your reception for 20 people + benefits listed below.
Coolidge Corner ($1,000 - $2,499)
Lunch for 2 at L'Espalier (774 Boylston Street) on race day watching the runners complete the race.
12 free tickets to a Stoneham Theatre production.
Name prominently on runner's shirt + benefits listed below
Heartbreak Hill ($500 - $999)
8 free tickets to a Stoneham Theatre production.
Name on runner's shirt.
Private intermission reception with 7 guests
+ benefits listed below.
Wellesley College ($250 - $499)
4 Hershey's Kisses
4 free tickets to a Stoneham Theatre production.
Invitation to an intermission reception + benefits listed below.
Natick Common ($100 - $249)
2 free tickets to a Stoneham Theatre production.
Tee - shirt listing sponsor names + benefits listed below.
Hopkinton ($25 - $99)
Name in Boston Marathon Donor Section of program for one year.
For more information, contact
Jon White-Spunner, Director of Development and Community Outreach
781.279.7885 x100
jon@stonehamtheatre.org
THE RUNNERS
Mandy Ladner
I started running in January 2009 with FitLifestyle Studios in Melrose. The co-owner, Jenine Wright was starting a running team for individuals interested in training for a half-marathon. The training started off as something fun to do. I had no expectation about what I was going to gain from this experience.
About 6 weeks into the training for the race, I learned that my boyfriend (now husband) was going to be deployed for a year in Iraq. He was to leave around the same time as the scheduled half-marathon. This was an incredibly overwhelming stress in my life. How was I going to manage our house, our two year-old daughter and working full-time as a nurse practitioner? Running became my positive outlet for handling the frustration, sadness and anxiety of the situation. The team provided me social interaction during a time in my life that could have been extremely isolating. These “women” became some of my dearest friends. It’s amazing the relationships that develop when you are running side by side for miles on end.
One week before the half-marathon, I sustained an injury and was unable to complete the race. I was devastated. The day after the scheduled half-marathon, I signed up for another race. Since that time, I’ve completed two successful half-marathons with times of 2hrs 16min & 2hrs 26min.
I can imagine what it feels like at the start line but I can’t imagine the feeling of crossing the finish line in Boston! This is a once in a lifetime experience, and, today, it seems overwhelming. But on April 18th, it will become an amazing accomplishment that I can hold onto forever!
Michelle LeBlanc
I’ve never considered myself a particularly “sporty” person, but I LOVE to run. I started running 4 years ago and have since completed 3 half marathons and over a dozen shorter races. More than anything I have loved getting to know the city of Boston with just my two feet to propel me. I have been honked at, run in blizzards, seen a myriad of wildlife, found my dream house on a quiet side street and learned to face my inner demons who tell me I can’t run 26.2 miles.
I am married to Matt Chapuran, General Manager at Stoneham Theatre, and have a five-year-old daughter named Eva Jean who also loves to run. I manage a federal education grant to help history teachers improve their teaching and recently received my license to teach middle school social studies. I grew up in Arkansas, have a black belt in Taekwondo and I love to cook.
I also believe deeply in Stoneham Theatre and all they do. Turn of the Screw and The Sparrow were two of my favorite shows in local theatre this past year. I am a huge sucker for musicals too. There’s nothing better than being with an appreciative audience who can’t get enough of live theatre.
Why I am running?
I am running the Boston Marathon to show that while there is always a quicker way to get somewhere, the scenic route is always the most rewarding.
Landers Symes
Landers has been involved with Stoneham Theatre since the beginning. Watching this old building transform into a home for live theatre has been very rewarding for him and his family. He is a graduate of Norwich University in 1987 and was commissioned as a 2LT in the Medical Service Corp. Landers attended Flight School in 1988 becoming an Aero-medical evacuation pilot. He was stationed in Fort Bliss Texas and served in Operation Desert Storm as the 507th supported the 1st Infantry Division and 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment. He completed his active duty service in June 1993 after serving as operations officer and commander. Upon leaving Active duty he served for over 2 years in the National Guard with the 1159th Medical Company (AA).
In 1993 he joined Symes Associates Inc., a real estate development and Construction Company in Beverly MA, founded by his father, Al, in 1967. In 2003 Landers took over as President of the company which now owns and manages numerous residential and commercial properties and is one of the largest builder/developers in Massachusetts. This is Landers’ second time running Boston for Stoneham Theatre, and will be his third marathon, completing the Portland Maine Marathon in 2007. Landers lives in Rockport MA with his wife Jennifer and their 4 children who all enjoy hiking, skiing, kayaking and traveling (but not long distance running).
Melissa Symes Patalano
I have to begin by saying how excited I am to be part of “Team Stoneham Theatre” and run on behalf of Stoneham Theatre and actually run the Boston Marathon! What makes this experience even more thrilling is that I get to do this with my cousin, Landers Symes. This is my first time training for and participating in the Boston Marathon, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
When I’m not training, I own and operate a restaurant in the heart of Stoneham Square - Melissa’s Main Street Bistro, which I opened nine years ago at the age of 23. It’s two doors down from the Stoneham Theatre and I have to say I’m grateful for the Theatre and its patrons, as they are a big reason I’ve been in business all these years. Running a restaurant should be good training for running a marathon and it sure would save time, but unfortunately all that running around doesn’t count so I have set up a schedule where when I’m not working, I’m running, but I love it. Running is freedom, it’s a time when I can be alone if I want (though I do very much enjoy running with friends), it’s when I can just put on my music and get out there. It hasn’t been easy....Before 2010 I hadn’t run for five years but despite some health obstacles in 2010 (broken foot, gall bladder removed, pneumonia, Lyme Disease, etc.), I stuck to my goal of getting back to my running. It began when I submitted my application for a number for the Falmouth Road Race, which I ran in August of 2010. I realized after that how much I really enjoy running organized races - it’s nice knowing the mile markers, having all those people around, and just the overall spirit that’s there.
Having that support is important and it’s another thing I’m grateful for - having my family, coworkers, friends, and especially my husband of three years, Mario, right there supporting me through all the ups and downs really help make this all so worth it - and in particular running the Boston Marathon for Stoneham Theatre is an inspiring goal for me and part of my dedication to supporting the Theatre is tying in my restaurant with fundraisers for the Theatre’s Marathon team. Please visit www.mainstreetbistro.net for a list of events - and check back as it will be regularly updated!
Why am I running?
My top ten reasons for running (thanks Mike for the format)
10. Smaller pants size.
9. It amazes me that I will actually be able to run for that long.
8. Something about it being “healthy for you”.
7. Because if my cousin can do it, I can too - Just nowhere near as fast.
6. To beat Matt's time from last year.
5. I live for a challenge.
4. To benefit a great entity, The Stoneham Theatre.
3. Smaller pants size, did I mention this one yet?
2. So I can say I have run the Boston marathon!
1. Because I have 100% without one stretch of the imagination lost my mind!
I am running because more than one time in my life I have said to myself, some day I’d like to run the Boston Marathon. The only problem is “some day” sometimes never comes. For me it comes April 18th 2011
Melisa Thorne
On Christmas of 1998, Melisa (Passanisi) Thorne got engaged and made a New Year's resolution to leave an unhealthy cigarette smoking habit and poor eating choices behind her. By her wedding in 2000, Melisa was 10 lbs lighter, comfortably running 5 miles and had no intention of ever going back to her old ways.
Today, Thorne is looking forward to running her 3rd Boston Marathon.
Melisa learned about the Stoneham Theatre Marathon Team, by reading an events posting on Boston.com and was seduced by the offer: "We (might) have a 2011 Boston Marathon Bib for you!" Being a long-time Stoneham resident and passionate runner, Melisa felt that this opportunity was scripted especially for her and immediately requested an application. The following week, on Christmas Eve, Thorne was thrilled to hear that she was selected to be 6th runner for the Stoneham Theatre Marathon team.
The 39 year old Software Engineering Manager and mother of 2 has called Stoneham her home since moving to the quiet suburb in 1976 with her family at the age of 5. Over the years, Melisa has seen a lot of progress in Stoneham. The most exciting change is the restoration and reopening of the Stoneham Theatre in 2000. She remembered as a child being fascinated by the closed Theatre and only could imagine what it must have been like in its heyday. Thorne fondly remembers running errands with her mother in Stoneham Center and, while her mom was buying fish at "Gloucester Seafood" and pizza at "Francine's", Melisa and her sisters pretended to put on productions in the Theatre's grand entryway.
Melisa is honored to have been selected to run for Stoneham Theatre so that she can take part in its mission to continue to deliver world-class performance arts, entertainment and educational opportunities to the community.
Melisa Thorne is a Software Test Engineering Manager at Pegasystems, Inc in Cambridge. When she is not working or training for a race, she enjoys spending time with her husband Chris and their 2 daughters, Marisa and Christina. Her most cherished racing memory of 2010 was seeing her family cheer her on at the Falmouth Road Race this past August.
In addition to finishing 2 Boston Marathons, Melisa has run 4 Half Marathons and several other races.
Rick Van Arnam
Rick returned from Afghanistan in December 2010 completing his second deployment where he served as the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s primary Intelligence officer. As a twenty-seven year Army veteran, he has served on active duty, in the reserves and with the Vermont Army National Guard and has learned to enjoy long distance running as part of his lifelong desire to lead a healthy life. The Boston Marathon will be his fourth marathon (Marine Corps - 1991, Columbus - 1995 and the Burlington City Marathon - 2005). His personal best, which will not be at risk in 2011, was 3:28 at the Marine Corps.
A citizen-soldier, Rick returned to full-time work at Norwich University in January 2011 after leaving in February 2009 to prepare for the deployment. Additionally, he has provided values and relational-based organizational health development services to organizations that range from Fortune 500 companies into the non-profit sector. He enjoys writing on character and leadership development and posts his thoughts to www.rickvanarnam.blogspot.com.
In addressing his intelligence team on November 30, 2010 before departing Bagram, he told them to, “never use the deployment as an excuse as to why you did not do something, but rather use it as an enabler to do something that you really want to do.” Helping the Stoneham Theatre represents his belief that adversity, like a deployment, can enable a person to do something great, and is also a way to support the Symes’ family, who have been supportive of many people and causes.
On both deployments to Afghanistan, Rick logged hours on a treadmill to help offset challenging conditions and air quality issues. For Boston, he will be outside in Vermont’s challenging winter weather as much as possible and will look to his wife, Connie, for moral support and her physical therapist talents.
Rick and Connie live in Northfield, Vermont and have two high school aged children, Connor and Elana. He is a graduate of Norwich University and earned an MBA from the University of Michigan, which is the source of much good-natured ribbing from Connie who is an Ohio State Buckeye and is enjoying a seven-year football win streak over “the school from the North.”
Why Are You Running?
After a challenging deployment to Afghanistan in 2010, I want to do something to support my belief that adverse experiences, like a deployment, should be viewed as enabling. Running Boston not only does that, but helps a great family and organization.