ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell University men's lacrosse team will host the seventh annual 21 Run on Sunday, May 1 at the Cornell Plantations, on Forest Home Drive in Ithaca, N.Y. Registration will begin at 10 a.m., and the 5K run/walk and the 1K Family Storybook Walk will kick off at 12:21 p.m.

Registration costs $15 per runner, $30 per family, or $121 per fraternity/sorority but runners are encouraged to collect sponsorships and make an additional donation. Families with young children can enjoy the day by walking along a 1K path lined with storybook stations where they can engage in book making activities, hear books read aloud, and try on costumes of book characters. There also will be food, entertainment and numerous raffles and giveaways.

The event, which honors the late Mario St. George Boiardi who wore the No. 21 as captain of the Big Red men's lacrosse team, benefits the Family Reading Partnership and raises awareness and money to promote children's literacy in the Ithaca community. It is open to everyone – competitive runners, children, families, students, and friends who want to remember and further George Boiardi's vision.

For more information, a detailed brochure, and for a schedule of events during the day, please visit the 21 Run website at: www.familyreading.org/21Run.htm. Registration and sponsorship details are available from David Lau at dwl53@cornell.edu.

The 21 Run
Who: The Cornell Men's Lacrosse Team
What: Seventh Annual 21 Run and Children's Storybook Walk
Where: The Cornell Plantations
When: Sunday, May 1 at 12:21 p.m. (10 a.m. Registration)
Why: To promote child literacy in Ithaca and honor the late George Boiardi, who wore the number 21 as captain of the Cornell men's lacrosse team.
Last Year: Nearly 300 people attended last year's event and the Big Red was able to donate more than $8,900 to the Family Reading Partnership.

The History of the 21 Run
On March 17, 2004, Cornell University men's lacrosse player, Mario St. George Boiardi '04 tragically died after being struck in the chest by a lacrosse ball as the Big Red took on Binghamton. Less than a year later, the idea to honor Boiardi's life and legacy was born as members of the men's lacrosse team, in conjunction with the brothers of Alpha Tau Omega, began to organize a 5K run that would raise money to benefit a cause that was dear to Boiardi's heart.

Boiardi intended to dedicate his life to teaching and planned to head off after graduation to a South Dakota Indian reservation as part of the Teach for America program to work with children, so what better way to honor him than to hold an annual event to benefit local literacy efforts, including the Ithaca Family Reading Partnership.

The first 21 Run, named in honor of Boiardi's number 21 jersey, saw hundreds of people from the Ithaca community gather at the Cornell University Plantations, and while the crowd of runners sped off on a 5K course, families with young children took a quiet stroll along the 1K Storybook Walk set up by the Family Reading Partnership.