by Mikayln Brickley
On July 7, 2019, 10-year-old Robert A. Leonardi lost his life in a hit and run as he attempted to cross the road on his scooter. In the aftermath of what has been an absolutely devastating loss to his family, his friends, and his community, we have been reminded why we are so blessed to live in a small town like Hamilton, Montana.
On August 7th, the community will gather at Hamilton High School to participate in “Robert’s Run”. The event will include a 5k and a 1 mile run, although no one is expected to run, strollers are invited, and kids of all ages are encouraged to attend.
“It’s really special that our community is coming together,” said Jackie Day, close friend of the Leonardi family. “It’s something we wish we didn’t have to do, but we do and we’re more than happy to put this event on and remember a boy who was just a really nice kid.”
The 5k will begin at 8 a.m. and the mile run begins at 9:30 a.m. You can preregister for the event at runsignup.com/RobertsRunMT. The cost to register is $29, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Robert Leonardi Memorial fund. After the 5k and mile event, there will be a carnival held in the HHS parking lot including a dunk tank, Smokey the Bear, firetrucks, games and refreshments.
“The purpose of this event is to honor Robert A. Leonardi’s memory, to honor the Leonardi and Yoakum families, and to raise money for children’s education and play,” said Day. “Robert was full of energy, full of laughter and full of adventure. We’re just doing our best to remember and honor him.”