Sam Lapidus Montclair Run honors a life cut short
Sam Lapidus was diagnosed with cancer at age 9, but he would never let anyone know it. For the six years he battled cancer, Sam defined his life by his friends, family and his love of working out, but never by his illness.
“He had things to do and had life to live, and he lived life to the fullest,” said Billy Lapidus, Sam’s father. “[He] did not like to talk about it, did not want to be labeled a kid with cancer.”
In 2003 Sam was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer that targets children. He underwent chemotherapy and surgery, which removed a mass in his abdomen and part of his rib cage, and went into remission for about a year. Over the course of six years, Sam’s cancer came back twice, and he faced nearly a dozen surgeries and multiple rounds of chemo and radiation. However, Billy said his son’s “tough spirit” supported him and his family through those distressing years.
“He was so fierce about this and wouldn’t let it get in the way and refused to be different,” Billy said. “We would have fallen apart if Sam had, but he did anything but that.”
Throughout his treatment at Children’s of Alabama, there was never a doubt that Sam’s cancer was secondary to his life plans. He would spend five days in chemo treatments, then head straight to the lake to go waterskiing. He continued to go to summer camp, hang out with friends and spend time with his siblings, Noah and Clara. Most importantly, he always made sure his treatments were scheduled around his workouts at the Levite Jewish Community Center. Sam loved to work out and became a fixture in the LJCC fitness center.
“He loved the JCC. He grew up there,” Billy said. “It was his home away from home.”
Sadly, the cancer eventually became inoperable, and Sam passed away in November 2008, not long before his 15th birthday. One of the friends he met through the fitness center, Bruce Sokol, wanted to honor Sam’s life, so he pushed the LJCC to rename its annual Montclair Run, which had been held for more than 30 years, in Sam’s memory.
Now in its fifth year, the Sam Lapidus Montclair Run raises money for cancer research. Around 1,300 people participated in the Thanksgiving Day 10K and one-mile Fun Run in 2012, and similar crowds are expected this year. Five dollars from each runner’s entry goes toward the LJCC fitness program and the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama. The race raised more than $5,000 last year to support cancer treatment and research.
Billy and his wife and daughter will run in the Montclair race this year, along with many friends and family members. They appreciate the yearly outpouring of support and the opportunity to remember Sam’s life with the community that loved him.
“It’s just an all-around amazing thing for our family,” Billy said. “It really, truly is a day where we give thanks for Sam’s life. We’re not there to mourn his death.”
The Lapidus family is still adjusting to life without Sam. They bake cakes for his birthday, and his little sister, who was 5 when he died, signs his name on Mother’s Day cards. Above all, though, they try to focus on all he accomplished, rather than what they lost.
“It would be horrible if we were only to think of it in a sad way,” said Billy. “That would be such a disservice to his memory and his life.”
This year’s race will be on Thursday, Nov. 28. The 10K will start at 8:30 a.m. and the Fun Run will begin at 10 a.m. Trophies will be given to the overall and top three male and female runners in each age category. There will also be drawings for free LJCC membership, 12 free turkeys from Piggly Wiggly, a Le Creuset Dutch oven and a pair of running shoes from the Trak Shak.
Entrants can register through the mail or online at bhamjcc.org. The entry fees are $18 for the Fun Run, $30 for online 10K registration, $36 for mailed 10K registration and $36 for registration after Nov. 22. All 10K runners will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt, and Fun Run participants will receive a short-sleeve T-shirt as part of their entry fee.
For more information, visit bhamjcc.org or call race organizer Dan Tourtellotte at 879-0411.
Sam Lapidus Montclair Run
Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28
8:30 a.m.: 10K
10 a.m.: Fun Run