NEW HAVEN – The temperature was five degrees Sunday morning in New Haven with a wind chill of minus-6, but over 1,000 runners and walkers still came out for the IRIS Run for the Refugees 5K.
“It’s important to show up and show that there is solidarity with immigrants and refugees,” said Andrew Rice of Milford, who was running the race for the first time. “We are a country that believes in people coming here for something better.
“Just showing that – even though it is six degrees outside – that people will still show up and show that they care because we’re all in this together … The immigrant community has done so many wonderful things, it’s a great contribution to our society. I think today is another celebration of that.”
The race had 2,322 registered runners and walkers but some likely did not run due to the cold weather. Last year was the race’s biggest turnout, with over 3,000 runners and walkers. Race director John Bysiewicz said it would have been hard to change the date Sunday and added that he was surprised to see 400 people signing up in the last three days, knowing that it would be cold.
“People wanted to run today,” Bysiewicz said. “One hundred and forty people registered yesterday; they knew what they were getting into.”
John Cho of Summit, N.J. won the race in 16:56 and Phoebe Liu of New Haven was the first female (21:21). New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, who is 50, finished in the top 25 in 20:39.
The race, in its 19th year, benefits Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, a New Haven-based non-profit that helps settle refugees and immigrants and offers help with education, language, youth services, health services and employment, among other services.
The agency’s budget was slashed last year and it had to cut half its staff and move out of its headquarters. Because the Trump administration is not allowing any more refugees into the country, with a few exceptions, IRIS is mainly helping those who are already here.
Michael Schindel of New Haven, who was running Sunday, said he works with international students in higher education.
“We work closely with IRIS to support our community of refugees,” he said. “I think that just with all of the anti-immigrant sentiment that’s happening politically and publicly – it’s become a bigger challenge to support our international students. The amount of funding that’s been cut for refugee resettlement is just appalling. IRIS is still supporting people on a very shoe-string budget.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal has been at the race every year for the last 18 years and was back again Sunday to watch.
“This race is a picture that’s worth a thousand words – to see these numbers, with this energy and enthusiasm–this is going to power my week in Washington when we have to consider whether to insist on demands to protect immigrants and possibly shut down (Department of Homeland Security),” he said.
“The brutality and violence that we’ve seen in the streets of America totally betrays our values and principles. But this huge turnout shows me that violence and violation of rights is not America. This is America. Welcoming refugees and immigrants because we are a nation of immigrants. Just the love in this room is so palpable and heartwarming – this room has to be the warmest place in America.”
William Tong, Connecticut’s Attorney General, ran his first 5K last year at the race. He couldn’t run this year, so he walked it.
Tong, whose parents were immigrants, gave a fiery pre-race speech.
“I am not afraid because I come from immigrants and refugees and they ran for their lives – that’s why William Tong was born in Hartford, Connecticut, not because they chose that, but because they had to run from the Japanese and the Communists and fire raining down from the sky,” he said. “Like so many immigrants and refugees, my parents and grandparents had no time to be afraid. They just fought every single day and that’s what immigrants and refugees are doing right here in New Haven and across Connecticut and across this country.
“When we get out there (on the race course), I want us to make it very clear – that we are here for immigrants and refugees and if the president, if ICE, if anybody wants to come for our immigrants and refugees, family, friends and neighbors – they will have to come through me and all of us and we are not afraid of you.”