This past winter, the Wayland community mourned the loss of second grader William McInnis. To celebrate William’s life and to raise money to plant a garden in his honor at Loker Elementary School, Williams’ family and friends came together for a 1k and 5k run. On Sunday, May 22, William’s Run brought together hundreds of runners, and over $17,000, more than triple the goal amount, was raised. William’s mother, father, sister, grandmother, teachers, classmates and more came from all over the world to celebrate William’s legacy. The McInnis family hopes to raise awareness about the rare genetic disease, Long QT Syndrome (LQTS), that William had. A part of the Williams run site highlights what the disease is. Another site includes a memory board where family, friends and all of William’s classmates left photos and words of love for William. If you are interested in donating to the McInnis family and Williams garden, the website is linked here.

Gallery • 9 Photos

Credit: Sophia Oppenheim

Sophomore Giovanni Sebastianelli stands in front of the starting line to assist the 1k runners. Sebastianelli volunteered and helped guide student runners on the route. Many of William's classmates, who were in Mr. O'Donnell's second grade class, came to run in the 1k. "I am volunteering today for a really good cause, and I will be here to help with anything I am needed for," Sebastianelli said.