University Dedicates New Trail in Honor of Student Killed While Running
By: Ananda Rochita
Updated: June 2, 2012
EMMITSBURG, MD - It's an afternoon that still replays in Melissa Painter's mind, the loss of her 22 year old daughter.
"She was the whole package," says Painter. "She was smart and beautiful and kind to everybody."
Elizabeth DiNunzio was hit and killed by a truck while running. She was training for the Pittsburg Marathon. While it's been three years since she's died, her memory lives on. Flowers are still put out by the site where she died. Some are even from people who never had a chance to meet her.
In memory of DiNunzio, the school fundraised to put a trail for other students to use. The school hopes with the new trail that it could save another life down the road.
"It took us a long time to heal as a community, but this trail and all of the efforts to get the trail, but it's not only to remember Elizabeth but also put grief into action," says University president Thomas Powell.
It cost about $200,000 to build the trail, and it isn't finished yet. They are still working to expand it which will go through the mountains.
"At first I didn't think much was gonna come," says Emily Painter, her sister. "I thought it was just one of those ideas and now its actually happened. I think that's really awesome."
"She was the whole package," says Painter. "She was smart and beautiful and kind to everybody."
Elizabeth DiNunzio was hit and killed by a truck while running. She was training for the Pittsburg Marathon. While it's been three years since she's died, her memory lives on. Flowers are still put out by the site where she died. Some are even from people who never had a chance to meet her.
In memory of DiNunzio, the school fundraised to put a trail for other students to use. The school hopes with the new trail that it could save another life down the road.
"It took us a long time to heal as a community, but this trail and all of the efforts to get the trail, but it's not only to remember Elizabeth but also put grief into action," says University president Thomas Powell.
It cost about $200,000 to build the trail, and it isn't finished yet. They are still working to expand it which will go through the mountains.
"At first I didn't think much was gonna come," says Emily Painter, her sister. "I thought it was just one of those ideas and now its actually happened. I think that's really awesome."
