Linda Yalem left her dorm room on a brisk morning 19 years ago to take a run down a campus bike path. But she never returned home.
It was discovered shortly afterward that Yalem had been brutally raped and murdered.
Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of the Linda Yalem Safety Run as 1,350 runners, walkers and volunteers from the UB community and the greater Buffalo area gathered at the starting line on Augspurger Road on North Campus to join in honoring Yalem's memory.
The 5K run brings awareness to personal safety for students and community members as a whole.
Dennis Black, vice president of Student Affairs, enjoyed pulling into the parking lot and seeing so many people warming up and making their way to the starting line.
'It is here that the most memorable moment of the race occurs,' Black said. 'From the very first year … each race has begun with a moment of silence and a bagpipe playing ‘Amazing Grace.' Every year that moment makes you remember and think.'
The event welcomed young and old, veterans and newcomers and offered little room for resentment – only progress.
Amanda Jasper, 27, of Buffalo, is a newcomer to the event. She felt that safety is a must and that people need not be afraid, just cautious.
'I'm an alumna and there were nights when I had to walk to my car [alone]. I did feel safe, however. It was because I knew UB had things in place,' Jasper said. 'We just need to educate people about safety awareness and familiarize them with different measures.'
Sandy Bueme, 82, of Buffalo, and his wife Helen, 79, have not missed a race yet. Bueme has noticed the growing popularity of the run and hopes even more people will participate.
Helen Bueme received a master's degree in education from UB and believes that more alumnae like she should be encouraged to participate.
'It's a good cause,' Helen said. 'It keeps people aware that this stuff happens all the time, no matter where you are or what you're doing.'
Dan Giza, a senior engineering major, placed first overall, finishing the race with a time of 15 minutes and 18 seconds. It was Giza's first time running in the race, but he plans on running it again in the future.
Giza believes that there is safety in numbers. He was always told to never run alone. He said this was the most important safety tip he received while a member of the UB cross-country team.
'We always knew to run in groups and keep everyone safe,' Giza said.
This year's race was the first for volunteer Kimberly Lindo, a senior psychology major. Knowing the story of Linda Yalem, Lindo is glad UB has an event like this and could only imagine the shock the community felt at the time of Yalem's death.
'Something like that has probably never happened before,' Lindo said. 'It brings awareness. It makes you mindful … just be careful when you are on a bike path, in a dark place, anywhere. Nobody wants to be the next Linda Yalem.'
Black believes that it is important to keep the tradition alive in order to compel people to take better control of their own personal safety through awareness, messages, safety give-away items and simply running together. It also brings the Buffalo community together for a time of fun, smiles, making memories and recollection, he said.
'We never imagined, decades ago, that there would be a second race, let alone 20 years of runs,' Black said.
E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
