ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell University men's lacrosse team will host the 12th annual 21 Run on Sunday, April 24 at the Cornell Plantations, on Forest Home Drive in Ithaca. Registration for this family-friendly event will begin at 10:30 a.m., and the 5K run/walk will kick off at 11:21 a.m. A benefit for the Boiardi Foundation and the Family Reading Partnership of Ithaca, the morning will also feature a Read-Aloud and Bookmaking Tent, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
 
The registration fee is $21 and groups of 10 or more can register for $210. Children under the age of 14 race (and read!) for free. There also will be food, music, 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 of Ithaca and raises awareness and money to promote children's literacy in the 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, or to pre-register for the run, visit: http://boiardifoundation.org/events/21-run-1/
 
To make a donation to the 21 Run, visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/21-run-2016-tickets-24583778744?aff=eac2

The 21 Run
Who: The Cornell Men's Lacrosse Team
What: The 12th Annual 21 Run
Where: The Cornell Plantations
When: Sunday, April 24 at 11:21 a.m. (10:30 a.m. Registration and Read-Aloud Tent)
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.

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.