Crime & Safety

Swampscott Firefighter and Officer to Plate Runs for Veterans

The public safety officers are running in Sunday's Run-Walk to Home Base, ending at Fenway Park.

Here's how the firefighter and police officer found out they both would be crossing home plate at Fenway Park on Sunday:

About two months ago officer Candace Doyle asked firefighter Richard Blake to donate to her Run-Walk to Home Base fundraiser for veterans.

The firefighter told her he was also running in the fundraiser for veterans who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan with combat stress or brain injuries.

Find out what's happening in Swampscottwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Theand will be among 4,000 runners and walkers in Sunday's event.  

Each of the participants will raise at least $1,000 to provide clinical care for the vets, support for their families and research to prevent these kinds of injuries and improve treatments.

Find out what's happening in Swampscottwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Combat stress and brain injuries effect as many as 30 percent of the returning veterans, according to organizers.

Richard is a veteran of the US Marines. He was a helicopter mechanic and served from 1986-90, and was called back to active duty during the Gulf War in 1991.

On Sunday at the start of the 5.6-mile race, on Yawkey Way, he will be wearing a T-shirt from his old squad, HMH 464, out of Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Candace isn't sure yet what she'll be wearing during her run but she and Richard will be running with thoughts of Marine Capt. Jennifer Harris and Army Spc. Jared Raymond. The Marine officer and Army specialist were killed in Iraq in 2007 and 2006.

Each year Candace runs about five road races on behalf of veterans or fallen officers or for other causes including cancer research.

This will be the first time both she and Richard have run the Fenway race. It's put on by the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Both of them watch the Red Sox and have been to games as recently as last year.

But on Sunday they will be among three waves of 1,000-plus runners, some of them veterans, some of them with prosthetic limbs.

They will step on home plate and score runs in the form of helping hands for veterans and families in need.

Those who want to donate to the event can do so on the Run-Walk to Home base web-site.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.