The Captain James R. Minicozzi Memorial Race in Scranton honors a beloved community leader and supports scholarships and local charities in his memory.
SCRANTON, Pa. — Captain James R. Minicozzi is remembered for helping others through his work with nonprofits and organizations in the Scranton area.
“His favorite time of the year was when he was on the board of directors at La Festa Italiana, and he did a lot of work with the Scranton Unico chapter,” Event Organizer Leslie Minicozzi Galacci said.
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Captain Minicozzi died in 2012 at the age of 36. Since then, his family has honored his memory with the Captain James R. Minicozzi Memorial Race. It is held on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend at La Festa Italiana in Scranton. This is the 14th year for the race.
“He would be amazed. He was on so many committees and he did so much for the community. He would be surprised to see how everyone is doing this in honor of his memory,” Minicozzi Galacci said.
Leslie Minicozzi Galacci organizes the event each year. She is also Captain Minicozzi’s sister. She says proceeds from the race will go towards college scholarships for students at West Scranton High School as well as the Boys and Girls Clubs of NEPA for its annual Christmas party.
“We have 200 children and it’s three hours of festivities. We have a dj and every child gets a hot catered meal,” Minicozzi Galacci said.
The Captain James R. Minicozzi Memorial Race is Saturday, September 5th at 10 am in downtown Scranton at La Festa Italiana. Runners and walkers can register until the morning of the race.