Program Staff

Brian Casey
Team Leader

Brian ran his first 5k race when he was 27, running a few with friends to maintain fitness.  Upon successfully completing his first sprint-distance triathlon in 2007 he realized that he was capable of longer races.  After experiencing the devastating effects that Alzheimer’s has on a family, he searched to see what races might offer an opportunity to support others affected by the disease.  When he came across the Run for the Memory team page and saw they were accepting applications for the 2008 Boston Marathon – he instantly knew what his next race was going to be.

Brian completed the 2008 Boston Marathon and continued to race under the program – completing the Reach the Beach Relay later that year and another Boston Marathon in 2009.  Shortly after that race he joined the leadership committee and began to work on organizing a team for the 2009 Reach the Beach relay.  Currently he is excited to have the opportunity to apply his technical skills by assisting the Alzheimer’s Association in its efforts to improve and enhance the web presence of the Run for the Memory program.

Prior to his training for the Boston Marathon in the fall of 2007 Brian had never run more than 8 miles, but he now looks forward to finding new distances and new ways to challenge himself and his teammates in support of the Alzheimer’s Association. 

Edward Cederholm
Team Leader

Actively involved with the Alzheimer's Association, Mass. Chapter, Ed ran his first Boston Marathon to benefit the Association in 2003. Ed officially joined the Run for the Memory program in 2006 and became a team leader. In 2006 he was also chosen by Saucony as one of 26 featured charity runners in the Boston Marathon with fellow team leader Chrissy Horan.
 
Ed has been a recreational runner for more than ten years, participating in many races. He has completed nine marathons including five in Boston in memory of his mother, Maybelle Cederholm, who passed away with Alzheimer's in 2006. Also included in his finishers medals are the Falmouth Road Race, BAA Half Marathon, New Bedford Half Marathon and Mt. Washington Road Race.
 
A highlight of Ed's involvement with the Alzheimer's Association has been the acceptance of the Run for the Memory Team as an official sponsored charity in the Boston Marathon by the Boston Athletic Association. He has also participated and volunteered in the Memory Walk for many years.
 
Ed's motto is "I may not have an education in neurosurgery, psychology, physical therapy or pharmaceuticals, but I can run to raise awareness and funds to help those affected by this devastating, terminal disease."

Michelle Gonzalez
Development Officer, Alzheimer’s Association

Michelle has an extensive history in both running and fundraising and is excited to be a part of the 2010 Run for the Memory program! Michelle joined the Alzheimer’s Association’s Development team in October, 2009 as the staff coordinator for the both the Run for the Memory program and the Memory Ride for Alzheimer’s Research, which has raised over $1.75M for Alzheimer’s research to-date. Prior to working at the Alzheimer’s Association, Michelle worked in Development at Project Bread – The Walk for Hunger, in East Boston, MA, and at The Hospital of Central Connecticut, in New Britain, CT. Michelle as been running since high school and has since completed the Boston Marathon as a charity runner, the Reach the Beach Adventure Relay in NH, as well as several sprint triathlons. She continues to race in local running and triathlon events.

Christine Horan
Team Leader

For the first 22 years of her life, Chrissy was anything but a runner.  A four-year college volleyball player, she loved everything about athletics and sports – except for running.  Then after moving to Boston without a volleyball team to play on, Chrissy started running along the Charles to keep fit.  As the runs got longer she signed up for her first half marathon – the inaugural BAA Half Marathon – and she was hooked.  She ran her first marathon in Philadelphia in 2002 and she hopes to complete her sixth marathon at the 2008 Boston Marathon.

Chrissy has been a member of the Run for the Memory team since 2006.  After running the Boston marathon in 2004 and 2005 for another BAA charity, she applied for the Run for the Memory team to run in honor of her grandfather, Felix Iovino.  In the last 2 years, Chrissy has raised over $15,000 for the Association.  In 2006, Chrissy was selected as one of the 26 runner’s that were a part of the Saucony 26.  In 2007, Chrissy was named a team leader for the Run for the Memory Team, along with Ed Cederholm. 

Richard Schilder
Coach

Rich Schilder has been involved in the Boston running community for over thirty years.  He ran Varsity Cross Country and Outdoor Track in Junior High, and continued with Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track at Newton North High School.  After two abortive seasons of Cross Country at Lehigh University (cut short by mononucleosis during his freshman year, and knee difficulty during his sophomore year), he had a successful intramural running career bolstered by a growing fascination with road races and marathons, which had started in High School.  He graduated Lehigh University with a Bachelors degree in 1980.

Growing up just five blocks from Heartbreak Hill, and having watched the B.A.A. Boston Marathon for years, it was inevitable that one day he would at least try once it to see if he could succeed at this great challenge.  It took three attempts to get his first completion, although by that time he had already run a 2:56:35 in the inaugural 1977 Prevention Magazine Marathon in Emmaus, PA.  By the late-1970’s/early-1980’s, he could often be found running the streets of Newton, MA.

In 1985, Rich joined the Greater Boston Track Club, becoming their Team Coordinator from 1986-89, Volunteer Coordinator from 1986-89 and becoming elected President in 1987-88 and 1988-89.  During this time he also received his MBA from Bentley College.  After a year-long break from running, he returned in 1990 and joined the Boston Athletic Association Running Club (BAA), leaving soon after to become a Charter member of the fledgling Boston Running Club (BRC) with whom he remained as a member for its decade-long existence from 1991-2000.  Originally serving in a variety of volunteer positions, he became Volunteer Coordinator (1994-2000), Race Results Coordinator and Phoenix Record newsletter Editor (1996-2000), and eventually a member of the Board of Directors (1999-2000).  Since 2001 he has been a regular member of the B.A.A. Running Club.

In 1993, Rich was awarded the RRCA National Volunteer Award and in 1997 he received the Phoenix Award for community service from the BRC.

Throughout this time, Rich was actively involved in road races, from 5K on up through marathon distances, even training and racing the 1500m, Mile, 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m on the indoor and outdoor track for three years in the mid-1990’s after a twenty-year break from competitive track.

In March, 1992, he served as Athlete Liaison Coordinator during the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Boston, MA, managing 160 volunteers handling the day-to-day needs of the Junior and Senior teams from around the globe attending this prestigious event.  In addition, from 1988-2000 he served each year as a host at John Hancock’s Marathon Village, taking care of the daily and race day needs of the elite, invited athletes competing in the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, as well as their coaches and invited guests.

A USA Track & Field (USATF) Level 1-certified coach since 2002 (he plans on becoming USATF Level 2-certified in 2008), Rich now coaches Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track for the Bedford High School (a member of the Dual County League), as well as the adult, recreationally competitive Heartbreak Hill Striders running club.  A veteran of roughly 51 marathons, with intimate experience with the B.A.A. Boston Marathon (18-times), New York City Marathon (13-times) and Chicago Marathon (7 times), he brings his unique talents to bear as coach for the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Boston Marathon and Fall Marathon Training Programs.

Having run ver 400 road races over the past 36 years, including roughly 75 10Ks, 23 consecutive Falmouth Road Races, 18 Mount Washington Road Races (the last 17 consecutively), 32 15Ks (including 12 consecutive Utica Boilermakers), 35 10-milers, 54 half marathons, at least 51 marathons, 1 50-mile attempt (1979) and 3 IronMan completion (Lake Placid, 05, 07, 08).  A seasoned marathoner with a PR of 2:47:38 (Boston, 1979), he still marathons twice a year and, on a good day, although his speed at shorter distances is not what it used to be, he has retained most of his endurance and is still only a few minutes off his peak marathon times.  Most importantly, he still loves to run.

He is an advocate for the sport, in all its aspects, and for runners of all ages and abilities, and firmly believes that athletics provides a fertile training ground for many of life’s major lessons, including dedication, loyalty, long-term planning, time-management, teamwork, healthy diet and lifestyle, and taking on and completing large challenges.  He is grateful for the opportunity to help and encourage others to participate and find their level of success as well.  The ability to do this through the Alzheimer’s Association fulfills a goal of his to help develop funds for research to find methods of early detection, as well as possible prevention and a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease in the near future, and provide funding for education, social service and other programs the Association provides.  He dedicates his 2007 B.A.A. Boston Marathon effort to his father, Dr. Herbert Schilder, who passed away in January, 2006, after suffering from Lewy Body Disease.

Timothy J. Morrison
Program Director

Tim has been instrumental in the creation and establishment of the Association’s formal marathon fundraising program and served as the volunteer Program Director of the “Run for the Memory” Program since the program began in 2002.  The initial program had 10 official entrants who ran the 106th Boston successfully raising over $28,000, and has grown each year with expanded training and fundraising support for team members.  In 2005 the “Run for the Memory” program was accepted by the Boston Athletic Association as an official sponsored charity for the 110th Boston Marathon in 2006.

Tim has been associated with the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts as a volunteer, fundraiser and advocate since 1996. In October 2004 he was elected to a three year term with the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and also serves on the Finance and Development Committee.  His affiliation with the Association began with individual fundraising marathon runs and volunteer participation with the annual Memory walks.  For the past five years he has served on the organizing committee for the Greater Boston Memory Walk held in the early fall.

 He is also a recreational runner who has been an active distance runner for the last 20 years.  He has served as a volunteer Assistant Coach for a local high school Cross Country team and an annual volunteer at the Feaster Five road race held in Andover and the Boston Marathon.  He has run over 10 marathons including the 100th and 102nd Boston Marathon as individual fundraisers for the Alzheimer’s Association.  He is a member of the Merrimack Valley Striders

Tim was a 1998 recipient of the Mayer Saxe award.