From Fall City to MIT, Mount Si Valedictorian Running Boston Marathon to Honor Murdered Friend, Police Officer

Sally Miller is a Fall City girl.  She grew up in there, attended Fall City Elementary School, Chief Kanim Middle School and then eventually headed off to Mount Si High School where she finished her four years  on the podium at the 2012 graduation sallyceremony as the valedictorian.

Now Sally is living on the East Coast as an MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) girl, studying mechanical engineering.

During her freshman year, in the days following the Boston Marathon bombing, Sally lost her good friend, Sean Collier, a MIT Police Officer who was allegedly gunned down by the suspected Boston Marathon bombers while he sat in his patrol vehicle on April 18, 2013.

Sally met Sean in the MIT Outdoor Club and they quickly became friends. She says, “He was a truly friendly, funny, and caring person, and I feel extremely lucky to have known him.”

In honor of her fallen friend, Sally helped organize ‘MIT Strong,’ a group of 35 runners from the MIT community who will run the 2014 Boston Marathon in honor of Sean Collier and on behalf of the MIT community.

Sally has pledged to raise $4000 for the Collier Memorial Fund, which was established in Sean’s honor in late 2013. The fund also created the Collier Medal which is presented each year to an MIT individual or group that “demonstrates the values and character of Sean.”  In fact, Sally said the first medal was just given to the MIT Emergency Medical Service a few weeks ago.

So Sally’s been training… and training – even during the particularly harsh winter in Massachusetts. According to her fundraising page, she’s been increasing her mileage each week and has been mixing up her training with biking, hiking and climbing.

On April 21, 2014, when the start gun signals, Sally will be part of the iconic race that for many across the country is bittersweet, as well as a show of resounding strength.

Many will be running ‘Boston Strong.’  Sally will be running ‘MIT Strong’ and thinking of her good friend as she crosses the finish line – 26.2 miles later.

For more information on Sally Miller and her fundraising to honor Sean Collier, visit her MIT Strong page.  MIT Strong has raised over $120,000 thus far.

Good Luck Sally!  Many in the Snoqualmie Valley will be thinking of you.

 

 

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