Community Corner

'I Am Raising Money for My Friend Chase'

Quinn McGuire, 7, will honor the memory of his friend when he runs in the Race4Chase this Sunday.

Quinn McGuire, now 7, was one of a number of Monroe children who befriended Chase Kowalski when they attended Kiddie Campus Preschool together.

"They were classmates and good pals," said Marybeth McGuire, Quinn's mother. "Chase was one of the sweetest little boys I have ever met in my life. There was nothing but love and goodness in the little boy."

Chase, who lived in Newtown, went to Sandy Hook Elementary School and was one of the children who lost their lives when a gunman opened fire in the building on Dec. 14.

Chase's family has strong ties to Monroe. His father, Stephen, and mother, Rebecca, both grew up in town and graduated from Masuk High School and his grandfather, Tony Kowalski, is known by many here for his past service as a Monroe Fire Safety Police volunteer and as an ambulance driver for the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.

On Sunday, Chase will be honored during the Sprint for Monroe at Wolfe Park. The Kids Fun Run before the annual race has been renamed the Race4Chase.

The children's non-competitive race had never been a fundraiser, but this year proceeds will benefit the Chase Kowalski Memorial Foundation, a charity set up by his parents so the couple can build Chase’s Place, a community center in Newtown.

The title sponsor is Linda's Story Time in Monroe, but many other people and businesses also stepped up for Chase.

McGuire is a member of the Race4Chase Committee and her son, Quinn, has been training to run for his friend.

"In the months that followed the shooting, we didn’t know what we wanted to do to honor Chase … but we knew we wanted to do something," McGuire recalled. "We knew that Chase had a passion for running and so when we heard that the Sprint for Monroe Kids Fun Run would be named after him, it seemed like the perfect way to celebrate Chase."

Quinn wanted to help raise money and the McGuires sent out requests to family and friends via Facebook.

"In two short weeks, we raised nearly $2,000 and in a month we had nearly $3,000 — and the money is still coming in," McGuire said. "The outpouring of support from our friends and family has been overwhelming."

'An Amazing Little Boy' 

McGuire said she saw a transformation in Quinn as her family did the fundraising. 

"He is very proud of his fundraising," she said. "For each person that donated money, Quinn wrote a personal thank you note to them. Every day he would come home from school and say, 'How much did we raise today?' and 'How many thank you notes do I need to write.'"

Quinn told his mother a story of how a teacher in his first grade class taught them about spending and saving money.

"He raised his hand and said to the class, 'I'm not spending or saving money, I am raising money for my friend Chase.'"

This Sunday, Quinn will participate in the Race4Chase and his mother will run in the 5K Sprint for Monroe.

McGuire said, "We think it is a great way to celebrate an amazing little boy."


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