Charlie Schulz Color Run

Group shot before the race

In a kick-off to Pride Month, the Bridgewater Raritan High School's Robotics Team hosted a Color Run in memory of Charlie Schultz. Charlie was a member of the team before any of the members were in high school. Before the current teacher advisor was leading the team. In other words, none of them even met alumnus Charlie Schulz, yet they all felt compelled to create a Color Run in his memory, with proceeds going to a scholarship in his memory for LGBTQIA+ Youth in Stem Education through the newly-formed Charlie Schulz Foundation.

The day was uplifting. Charlie's parents, Elizabeth and Wynn, were beaming thinking about all of the people who came out to share in this event -- friends of Charlie's traveled from South Carolina, Philadelphia, and California (and more). Students who didn't even know Charlie gleefully tossed colored chalk on participants (after politely asking if it was okay). Others ran laps around us, or walked, or a bit of both around the 3/4 of a mile loop around the school property.

T-shirts were sold. Buttons with Charlie's face saying "#IAmValid were handed out. The back of the t-shirt says it all. His mom said the pineapple pizza was more of a running joke than anything serious -- she often bought pineapple pizza for family dinners.

The only thing missing from the day was Charlie. Their son took his life about four years ago. In 2019, Don and I ran a similar charity race, this one was for suicide prevention and was held at our alma mater, the school where Charlie was a student. I thanked one of the volunteers for doing this and mentioned Charlie. The student didn't know who I was talking about, even though Charlie had died on the campus the year earlier. That year there had been three suicides on campus. These students at the high school had never met Charlie, but knew of him and wanted to honor his legacy. We went to honor it, too.

I'm sorry we never met Charlie. We met Charlie before he transitioned, when he was still Shannon. Shannon played the unicorn in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" when Ashley was Lucy Pevensie. Ashley was in Middle School, Shannon was a couple of years older. Wynn played Father Christmas. Through the magic of Facebook I got to know Wynn and Elizabeth. I was shocked to learn about Charlie's suicide. 

The suicide rate among transgendered persons is 32-50%. That number increases when you don't have people who support you. Charlie had parents who supported him. He seemed to have a support team, and yet, it wasn't enough. I couldn't help but think of Ashley and her friends and the journeys they are taking. The times they wonder if life would be better for everyone else if they killed themselves. One life taken too soon is one life too many.

As for the rest of the event, kudos to Team 303 for organizing this event. The turn out was great -- from people who knew Charlie from school, church, and community theater, to the students who never met him and still felt compelled to share in his memory. Thank you!

Before the race

Charlie's parents

Let's go!

At the end

After the race we went to Colonial Park in Somerset, NJ to visit the bench dedicated to Charlie. When we walked up to the bench, a family was hanging around it. We walked away, and tried to keep an eye out so we could see it without looking creepy. After we walked away, someone else came to sit on it. It is a very popular bench.

A quick visit to Charlie's bench near Colonial Park

Someone at the race suggested we pause at the Rudolf W. van der Groot Rose Garden as the roses were in bloom. That was a pleasant detour. We should all take more time to stop and sniff the roses.

There was a bench dedicated to John E. Pillsbury in the rose garden -- not a relative we knew about. You know me, I accept everyone with the slightest connection as family. Having the same last name, I would have invited him to family picnics. It was a bit jarring looking down and seeing our last name on a memorial bench.

The chalk washed right out of our clothes. Don clapped his sneakers together, and the chalk flaked off. I'm keeping the chalk on my old sneakers as a reminder of Charlie. I wore them a week later on an archaeological dig site and smiled at the chalk. His parents are showing me it is important to remember him, and to do so with some joy.