STORY: 5K Raises $5K for Hopatcong Students

Even though Tony Pinsonault no longer calls Hopatcong home, he still makes big contributions to the community.

The inaugural Chief’s Challenge drew more than 160 participants at Hopatcong High School on Sunday morning. Pinsonault said the event raised $17,000.

Of that figure, $12,000 will go towards the Paul D. Pinsonault Memorial Foundation, which focuses on raising funds for education and cancer research. The remaining $5,000 will go towards scholarships for Hopatcong seniors Kelcey Brennan, Colleen Duncan, Patricia Koenen, Michael Martinek, Felicity Meyer and Joe Prestifilippo.

Click here for a photo gallery of the race.

The event was a 3.1 mile race that began and ended at the track at the high school. The race was held in honor of Tony’s father, Paul Pinsonault, who died in 2005 at the age of 64 after a battle with prostate cancer.

Tony Pinsonault, who now resides in Sparta after spending his childhood in Hopatcong, was the chief organizer of the race. Pinsonault got the idea for the event from last year’s Run for Jordan, which helped benefit Jordan Yaros, a 12-year-old Hopatcong girl who had been diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a cancer which weakens the bones.

“We thought it was an awesome event,” Pinsonault said of last year’s Run for Jordan. “We wanted to keep the legacy going, so we thought we’d run one in honor of my dad, and give the money back to the student-athletes of Hopatcong.”

Pinsonault said his love for Hopatcong when he was growing up was the main reason he was giving back to his old community.

“I love the town, it’s a great town,” Pinsonault said of Hopatcong. “I went to high school here, so I wanted to give back to the high school.”

Prestifilippo finished second overall in the race behind Michael Pachella of Ogdensburg. Prestifilippo said he felt it was only right to compete in the race due to his relationship with the Pinsonault family.

“I’ve known the Pinsonaults for a while now, through running and through friends and family” Prestifilippo said. “I applied for their scholarship and I got their scholarship, so I felt like I just had to do it.”

The race was won in a landslide by Pachella, who ran the 3.1 miles in 16 minutes, beating Prestifilippo by a minute and 48 seconds.

“I was going to try to stay with Pachella, but he’s in another league right now,” Prestifilippo said.

Prestifilippo’s classmate, Dylan Capwell, finished in third place. Capwell ran the course in 18:09.

Pachella, who graduated from George Mason University in the spring, said he used the race as practice for his attempt to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2012.

“This is kind of my summer training,” Pachella said. “I’m just getting back in shape. It was a good workout.”

Pinsonault said he expects the Chief’s Challenge to become a yearly staple in Hopatcong, helping to provide scholarships to worthy Hopatcong High School students, as well as funds to a notable foundation.

“It’s something we’re going to do every year,” Pinsonault said.