RANDOLPH — Lacrosse players from as many as 26 youth programs across Northern New Jersey have been given the honor of carrying Sgt. James Regan’s lacrosse stick during Saturday’s Big City Stick Run. The charity event that will be held prior to the Big City Classic college lacrosse tripleheader at the Meadowlands involves a 14.2 mile run from the World Trade Center site through the Lincoln Tunnel to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford.
Once the stadium is reached, the stick will be transferred to players from Special Angels Recreation. Special Angels is a recreation program that caters to children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome and other developmental disabilities. The Special Angels will present the game ball to the officials just prior to the first game between University of North Carolina and the University of Virginia.
“I’m honored to honor Sergeant Regan,” 14-year-old Randolph lacrosse player Jack Margiotta said. “He helped us with his service in the army to let us play every day in Randolph.”
Margiotta was chosen as a representative for the Randolph youth program. Programs belonging to the New Jersey Junior Lacrosse League agreed to participate in the event in January. Afterwards the runners will attend the college lacrosse tripleheader which starts at noon and features University of North Carolina vs. University of Virginia, Princeton vs. defending national champion Syracuse and Hofstra University vs. University of Delaware.
In the early morning hours about 50 runners that will meet in front of Midieval Times in Lyndhurst, jump in busses and head for New York City. The event is a rolling caravan with a police escort. Each runner will run about 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile before handing off to the next. Finished runners will be picked up by a trailing bus.
Many of the runners were already familiar with Regan’s story before hearing about the event. Regan grew up in Manhasset and played high school lacrosse at Chaminade High School. He played collegiately for three seasons at Duke University. He played midfield on two teams that won Atlantic Coast Conference titles and another that reached the NCAA semifinals.
He enlisted into the Army in 2004 and in three years earned a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and several other medals marking his service in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 26-year-old soldier was killed on February 9, 2007 in Northern Iraq of wounds he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while on combat patrol. He was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
“I’m just really honored to run with Sgt. Regan’s stick,” Margiotta said.
