Kerry Rose Foundation 5K Scheduled for November

The Kerry Rose Foundation, which was created to honor a Commack graduate who was killed in a fire, will hold a 5K-trail run in November to raise awareness of safety and sprinkler systems in college-operated housing. 

The run will take place Nov. 30 at Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve in Commack.

Maryanne and Bob Fitzsimons, whose daughter, along with two other students, was killed in a Marist College off-campus house fire on Jan. 21, 2012, founded the Kerry Rose Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to raise awareness of fire safety, specifically the importance of Fire Sprinklers and to disperse information to students regarding their rights in on and off campus housing.

In July, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, signed into law The Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act that would require public and private colleges in New York State to provide written information on fire safety and sprinkler systems to students residing in college owned or operated housing.

The Foundation currently has electronic billboards installed across the country, which spread the word of fire safety. The Fitzsimons hope that the 5k will help raise more funding so that the foundation can expand its awareness, and eventually see all student housing be fire sprinkler protected.

The Foundation is currently accepting donations and sponsors to get the run off of the ground. 

For more information, or to become a sponsor, visit http://www.kerryrosefoundation.org/Contact.html. Donation and sponsorship forms are also included in the photos section of this article.