Chrissy Fratena and her only sibling, Rich Dalessandro, were best friends even though they were born a decade apart. She lost her best buddy in 2007 and now spends countless hours organizing an annual fundraising event to honor him.

It was December of 2006. Chrissy, currently a clinical nurse specialist at the Aultman Behavioral Health Center, was finishing her master’s degree program and looking forward to graduation. “Rich hadn’t been feeling well for weeks and went to Aultman West Immediate Care. They took one look at him and said he needed to get to the main hospital right away,” Chrissy recalled. “His hemoglobin level was dangerously low. Testing revealed he had ALL, a form of leukemia that usually occurs in children under age 10. We were blind-sided.”

Rich was only 35 years old, a carpenter in great physical shape. “He underwent a bone marrow transplant at the Cleveland Clinic and never recovered,” Chrissy said. “Family members visited him on a Sunday, and he was doing OK. That evening, the hospital called and said Rich wouldn’t live through the night … and he didn’t. He died four months after his diagnosis; he had just turned 36.”
Chrissy wanted to honor her brother and did so by participating in a half-marathon through Team in Training, a flagship fundraising program for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “We raised $4,400 that first year – Running for Rich was our team name,” she said. “My dad is a runner, too, so we talked about organizing a 5K race in our hometown of Dalton.”

That is when the Rich Dalessandro Memorial 5K was born. The inaugural race included 150 participants, mostly Rich’s family members and friends. The 2015 event, held the first Saturday in November, featured 834 participants! “We have a 5K race, a two-mile walk/run, kids’ fun run, health fair and pancake breakfast after the run,” Chrissy explained. “This year, we added 25- and 50-mile bike rides. There’s something for everyone.”

The 2015 event raised $17,500. Half of the money goes to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – and the other half helps local families battling cancer. “We make event T-shirts every year, and the back is just filled with sponsors’ logos. Dalton is a small, close-knit community – and Rich knew so many people because he was in the construction business,” Chrissy said. “The event is very healing for families touched by cancer, and you make a strong connection with each other.”

Chrissy has two young children, and they know everything about their Uncle Rich. “My son was born on the seventh anniversary of Rich’s death, so God gave us something wonderful to celebrate on a tragic day,” she said. “My daughter draws pictures for Rich, and we talk about how caring he was. My kids know all about the memorial race and how our family is continuing Rich’s legacy of helping people in need. He would be very proud.”

The ninth annual race will be held Nov. 5, 2016. More information can be found at www.ohiochallengeseries.com and on the race Facebook page by searching “Rich Dalessandro Memorial.”