A Boston Marathon victim was honored at Fenway Park before the start of Tuesday night’s Red Sox game as America’s iconic city slowly recovers more than a month after the Marathon bombing killed three people and wounded more than 260 on April 15.
Jeff Bauman, who lost both of his legs in the twin blasts, threw out a ceremonial first pitch to Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. His rescuer, Carlos Arredondo, escorted him to the mound in a wheelchair and also threw out a first pitch to Sox designated hitter David Ortiz before the start of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Earlier this week first lady Michelle Obama visited Boston for the second time since the explosions as she headlined a Boston fundraiser for Massachusetts Senate hopeful Edward Markey and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. On Wednesday, she reunited with several victims of the bombing whom she met at hospitals in the days following the blasts.
Last month she went to an interfaith service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston to honor the victims with President Obama, who vowed to Bostonians: “You will run again.”
OneRun on Saturday gave runners the chance to finally cross the Marathon’s finish line on Boylston Street as a chance to heal and complete the race they began more than a month ago. At least 3,000 runners and bombing victims gathered to run the final mile of the world’s oldest annual marathon. On the day of the bombing, officials stopped the runners on the course after the blasts erupted near the finish line.
The event was not a fundraiser, but some sponsors covered the operating costs of OneRun, which honored victims and emergency workers of the explosions.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last Friday visited the Marathon memorial in Copley Square, which is decorated with stuffed animals, Red Sox baseball hats, and signs. Included in the memorial are four crucifixes bearing the names of the three Marathon victims and one police officer killed during the manhunt that followed the attack.
A special pre-game ceremony was held at Fenway Park prior to the Sox game against the Kansas City Royals on the Saturday after the bombs exploded. Sox players wore “BOSTON” jerseys that were autographed and auctioned to benefit the victims. In addition, the Fenway faithful were led in their eighth inning anthem of Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond.
Michele Richinick