PHOTO: CHIEF HUBBS IN FULL GEAR, running in the 2007 Heroes to Hero event.

photo by B. Cleary

The race is intended to bring the communities of Gloucester City and Mt. Ephraim together following the tragic loss of firefighters Tom Stewart III, Jim Sylvester, and John West, Sr., during a fire in Gloucester City on July 4, 2002. 

A 5k run was chosen over other possible events because the run literally brings the two communities together – runners start blocks from the Mt. Ephraim fire house and finish at the King Street fire house in Gloucester City. The race course is laid out so runners pass the former homes of Stewart, Sylvester, and West.

Congressman Robert Andrews remembered the fallen firefighters during a prerace ceremony in Mt. Ephraim. He said that while other countries have a problem keeping people in, America has a problem keeping people out due to the outstanding character of our nation, which is due to men like Stewart, Sylvester, and West.

Moucine Outaleb of Baltimore, Maryland, won the race with a time of 14:43.59, but did not beat the prior race record of 14:08. The highest finishing female was Jessa Stevens of Morrestown, NJ, with a time of 18:24.76, and the highest finisher from Gloucester City was Ryan Chiodi, who ran as a member of Gloucester City’s police department. 

Brothers Matthew and Stephen Hand were the highest finishing firemen, placing seventh and eleventh, respectively, with youngest brother Kyle placing 16^th overall. 

Matthew and Stephen, both members of the Merion Fire Company of Ard-more, Pennsylvania, say that running and firefighting are all part of the family business and that the Heroes to Hero 5k is a great way to help our firemen stay in shape. \”Our dad always ran and stayed in shape, so we got involved with it in our high school cross county teams,\” Stephen Hand said. Matthew added, \”We’re all third generation firemen. On a physical standpoint, a lot of firemen get themselves out of shape. It’s important to spread the message that everybody should be physically fit to do the job.\”

News Correspondent Anthony Wojtkowiak finished 198^th of 473 finishers in his first-ever 5k, completing the race in 27:21.11.

The 2010 Take A Kid Hunting Pheasant Hunt sponsored by the Federation and the Division will take place this Saturday, October 30, at the following Wildlife Management Areas: Whittingham, Black River, Flatbrook, Clinton, Assunpink, Colliers Mills, Glassboro, Millville, Peaslee and Winslow Wildlife Management areas.

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The hunt is limited to youth who hold a valid youth hunting license. They can be accompanied by family. All hunts will be mentored except for those in Flatbrook and Glassboro. Dog handlers in the guided hunts will give the youngsters an opportunity to have a quality hunt.

This year will be the first hunt in Winslow. The Camden County Federation will sponsor the hunt for 25 youth hunters. A breakfast will be served courtesy of the Camden County before the hunt. Ocean and Monmouth counties are sponsoring the hunts in the Assunpink and Colliers Mills areas. Thanks to all of those involved and good luck to the young hunters in search of the Rockport Rockets.Also this Saturday will be the Youth Waterfowl Day for those young hunters in the Coastal Zone. Members of the New Jersey Waterfowlers will be involved in the hunt. Southern Zone Youth Waterfowl Day will be November 5 and 6. The Northern Zone was October 2.

The Stewart and Ruggierio Families, Gloucester City