Run With Aimee at finish line after decade

Polak family thankful for community support

By: Justin Feil
   The Run With Aimee was started as a way for Joe and Elaine Polak to see the spirit of their daughter carry on even after her death in a car accident April 8, 1996.
   It grew from a small race to a local event that attracted talented runners and the supportive Montgomery community. They came to honor Aimee and contributed to the community projects and organizations that she would have supported.
   The Run With Aimee has reached its finish line, though the spirit of Aimee lives on with continuing support for local and worldwide organizations. Starting the Run With Aimee fulfilled a wish. Ending the Run With Aimee after 10 years also stayed true to Aimee’s wishes.
   "One thing I can tell you about Aimee," Elaine Polak said. "She wants people to live life to the fullest. We needed that race. These people were wonderful, wonderful people that we met through it. But the grieving process, it’s a very personal thing. Nature or God gets you to where you can get to a point with that person alone.
   "What Joe and I were able to do was to help the community. Now, Aimee would want us to get on with our lives. This ending is perfect. It’s the way Aimee would want us to leave."
   The race started in April, 1997, at Montgomery High School and drew just over 350 registrants. Five years later, participation had grown to over 1,000 and it hovered around that figure for the last five years, fair weather or not.
   "We thought it was going to be a race, one time," said Joe Polak. "We got a lot more legs out of it than we ever anticipated. We never thought it would go to 10 for sure.
   "We felt certainly the first year it was really emotional," he added. "It was so close to the anniversary of Aimee’s death. Part of that personal stuff waned a little bit because of the length of time. But it was amazing that it took place every year. There was a lot of legwork for the committee."
   The Polaks credit a lot of the race success to the dedication of a race committee that remained largely intact from the first year through the 10th year.
   "This race committee is the most awesome committee," Elaine said. "We didn’t know any of them really before this. From such terrible things, good things come. We were able to give back to the community. We met some wonderful friends. You can’t get ask for anything more."
   Added Joe: "It was almost too personal to continue on with it. At some point in time, we were going to have to let go of it. We have grandkids, and a lot of the committee members have young children. And it was a lot."
   In the 10th year, the Rotary Club of Montgomery and Rocky Hill helped organize and put on the event. This year, while the Run With Aimee will not be held the first Sunday of April, the first Run With Rotary will be held April 29. The race will take the approximate time slot, but is not affiliated with the Run With Aimee.
   "It will be a little weird to not have it," Joe said. "But I think we were ready to move forward. I’ll be there for the Rotary Race, probably running with my grandkid. We knew it was time to stop."
   The Run With Aimee benefited The Aimee Fund, which supported community organizations as well as handed out scholarships for Montgomery and Hillsborough High School students. In all, almost $400,000 of support was handed out in the 10 years. Though the race will end, the Aimee Fund continues to keep alive Aimee’s spirit by supporting a pair of causes.
   "We had put money aside from the first couple races and we had an initial pot of money after Aimee’s death and put it in a brokerage," Joe said. "The Princeton Area Community Fund, they’re going to manage the fund in perpetuity. They’ve given it to two organizations, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and Heifer International. So it’s something that will go forward."
   The Polaks continue to go forward as well. And part of doing so meant ending a race that had been a big part of their lives for the past decade.
   "Elaine and I have been talking about it the last couple years," Joe said. "We had a very small group that kind of did everything, from putting the race on, to collecting money, to looking for sponsors. It was time to stop. We were thinking of doing it after year eight. Then we did the ninth and we just thought, let’s get to the 10th one. We wanted to end on a high note and it was the best day weather-wise and we had a typical amount of sponsors so it was a good way to end."
   Added Elaine: "You have to set priorities. We don’t need the race for our daughter anymore. We’re thrilled it was so popular and so good for the community."
   For 10 years, the Polaks took their personal tragedy and found a way to create a positive for an appreciative public. It wasn’t easy all those years, just as it wasn’t easy to finally end the established race. It may be gone, but it touched the lives of many. Aimee Eve Polak did the same, for the last 10 years through the Run With Aimee.
   "I tell people this now, if they talk about it and I cry, don’t feel bad," Elaine said. "What hurts is when no one mentions her. I watched kids running and families having fun, and it’s heartfelt for us. They’re all good tears."