Saturday's Wingathlon to Honor First Grader Killed in Sandy Hook Tragedy

The first annual Newtown Wingathlon, with all proceeds going to support Dylan’s Wings of Change, will kick off at 9 a.m. with a running/cycling event as well as a family 5K walk/run.

The dual race that kicks off at 9 a.m. at Fairfield Hills this Saturday, May 2, will affect traffic in town causing delays and temporary road closures between 8:30 a.m. and 12 noon, according to Newtown Police.

The running/cycling event will leave Fairfield Hills campus on Mile High South Road and turn onto Nunnawauk, where at the end of Nannawaulk, runners will return to campus. These racers will then ride a 15 mile bike ride through Mile Hill South, Pecks Lane, Huntingtown Road, Castle Meadow, Hattertown Road, and then return to Fairfield Hills the same way. Once the bicyclists return to campus, they will run another 5K on the same initial route.

At 9:30 a.m. a second race - the family 5K walk/run - will start and follow the same running route as stated above.

Motorists can expect traffic delays and temporary road closures in these areas until noon on Saturday, Police said.

Proceeds from the races will go to Dylan’s Wings of Change, an organization that raises money for autism research and programs. Dylan Hockley was six years old and in first grade at Sandy Hook Elementary School when he was killed along with nineteen other students and six educators on December 14, 2012.

The Wings of Change website states that Dylan had “an infectious laugh and was passionate about the moon, garlic bread, the color purple, and computer games.” Dylan also had autism.

Dylan’s parents, Nicole Hockley and Ian Hockley, established Dylan’s Wings of Change, a foundation dedicated to the memory of Dylan that helps children with autism and other related conditions achieve their full potential.

Photo Credit: Dylan’s Wings of Change