Hundreds run to remember Laurie Melchionda, 'special' Braintree nurse horrifically murdered in 2020
BRAINTREE - They laced up by the hundreds Saturday morning and hit the road to honor a woman known for her heart, joy and service.
It's been more than two years since Laurie Melchionda was tragically killed in 2020 by a gunman who posed as a UPS driver and used a box to hide his weapon. Her former neighbor, Robert Bonang, is charged with murder. He had a competency hearing earlier this year but the case has not yet made it to trial.
In the years since the 59-year-old mother of three was killed, her family has built a foundation to honor her legacy.
Melchionda was a school nurse in Braintree for more than 30 years and was a familiar face to those who live here.
The Laurie Melchionda Foundation provides scholarships to a nursing student at UMass Boston. Saturday's race is just one of the ways they raise money for the foundation.
Robert Melchionda is one of Laurie's sons and helped organize the race.
"She was just a special, special lady," he said. "Any chance she could get she would always run and jump to help and do anything she could."
Robert, 35, said the turnout Saturday was a testament to her impact on Braintree.
"Shortly after her death the community got together and held a vigil for her, and a strong showing came out," he said. "We knew right then we had to keep something going."
Robert and his sister, Juliana said putting this race together was a family affair. Juliana, 28, said the last two and a half years have been full of ups and downs.
"It is a never-ending roller coaster," Juliana said. "We have our highs and our lows. More lows than highs, so we have learned to appreciate the good moments and learn from the low moments."
Juliana follows closely in her mother's footsteps; she's a nurse too.
"I knew at a very young age that was what I was going to be," she said. "She very much instilled the special qualities of a nurse in me."
One of the more glaring factors at Saturday's race was the weather. The tropical storm conditions cleared to sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s just minutes before the start of the race.
"She did this for us last year," Juliana said. "When we started, she opened the sky up to make it nice and bright and I had no doubt she would do it for us again today. She was a light. Every time she walked into the room, she lit up that room with her smile and her presence. It was warm and it was beautiful."