1,000-Plus Run, Walk in SongStrong5K in Guilford Saturday Morning

GUILFORD, CT - More than 1,000 turned out Saturday morning to participate in the 1st annual SongStrong: Keep Kids Safe 5K run and walk at the Guilford Fairgrounds. The race celebrated the life of Ethan Song who tragically passed away in January at the age of 15 from a gunshot wound.

Close to another 1,000 watched and cheered the participants.

All the proceeds from the event go to the Ethan Miller Song Foundation, a non-profit that develops and supports Ethan’s causes and programs that keep kids safe.

Educational materials to help start a family discussion about guns safety, drug safety, suicide prevention, and distracted driving were developed.

Between the main 5K and a Kid’s Run that proceeded the main race there were more than 1,000 who ran and walked.

Before the start of the main race, short speeches about the importance of the day and Ethan and his family were given by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, State Rep. Sean Scanlon and First Selectman Matt Hoey - who declared Saturday “Ethan Song Day” in Guilford.

The National Anthem was sang by Guilford’s own Nick Fradiani, Sr.

Ethan’s father, Mike Song, said it is possible that $250,000 will be raised when all the money is totaled up.

“We have noticed some amazing resources out there created by great organizations like Sandy Hook Promise,” Mike Song said.

Mike Song said one person’s whose efforts have been extraordinary is his wife, Kristin. “She’s the strongest person I know,” Mike Song said about his wife.

“The entire family wishes to thank our entire community for catching us when we were falling fast when this happened,” Mike Song said.

“Words cannot express how grateful we are to everyone who reached out,” Mike Song said. “Now we enter the next chapter of our lives - a mission to help keep kids and animals safe -- to make the world a better place.”

On January 31, Guilford police responded to a home on Seaside Avenue near Chittenden Park. Police said when they arrived, they found Ethan and another teenage boy inside the home.

Police said Ethan suffered a gun shot wound and was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital where he was then pronounced dead. No charges have yet been filed.

A GoFundMe page that has raised over $114,000 in Ethan’s name lists these as his causes: Animal Rights, Human Rights, and Gun Education and Advocacy.

The link to that page is here: https://www.gofundme.com/ethan-song-memorial-fund

Photos by Jack Kramer