For Some with ALS, The Boston Marathon Finish Line is Just the Beginning of the Race

STP-News sends a 26.2 mile shout-out to Peppi Bolognese, an unsung hero of the Boston Marathon. Peppi (center) is the owner of Accugraphics, a customizing graphic design and signage installation company.

For twenty-five years, without fanfare Peppi and his team of all-stars have installed the iconic Boston Marathon Finish-line on Boylston Street. Like runners from across the globe, no matter the circumstances, Peppi sees the yellow, blue and white logo as a sign of a job well done. His daughter Nichole said ” It’s been an honor for the family to be part of this great event”.

The Bologneses also see the world renown mile-marker as a hopeful memorial for a beloved family member. Peppi’s wife, Maureen, was the Company cheerleader, a nurturing Mom and Nona, friend to all souls and the type of kindergarten teacher her students would credit at High School commencement ceremonies. She was a world-class teacher.

Maureen Bolognese welcoming her 5 year old students to their 1st day of kindergarten : 9/1988. Manchester-by-the-Sea,MA

Maureen, affectionately known as Mrs.B, passed away nearly nine years ago. At 73 she lost her race to beat ALS, a progressive, degenerative disease of the nerve cells. To date, there is no cure for the condition that affects as many as 30,000 Americans. 5,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

For those who loved Mrs.B along her marathon route, fighting for more time to beat ALS, the Boston Marathon Finish-line is a metaphor for the long road to finding a cure for this disease. Like any marathon, time is of the essence. The Saint Louis School of Medicine says ” the average life-expectancy of a person with ALS is about 2-5 years from the onset of symptoms.” ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is the condition that took the life of 34 year old Pete Fretes, the one time Boston College baseball player who raised research money around the globe through the #IceBucketChallenge.

Through racer’s fund raising pledges, the Boston Marathon Finish-line installed by Accugraphics, symbolizes for the Bologneses and many others the starting-line of promising new research and the hope for time to win the race against ALS, the cruel disease that touches souls around the globe irrespective of race, ethnicity, or sociologic circumstances.

In loving memory of Maureen Bolognese 1942-2015.