The family of Martin Richard — the 8-year-old Dorchester boy killed in the Boston Marathon bombings — has launched a foundation to promote his message of peace and kindness, and is recruiting a team to run this year’s race in his memory.
In a heartfelt statement released yesterday, the Richard family also announced Martin’s sister, Jane, is playing youth basketball on a prosthetic leg, his brother, Henry, is earning good grades, and the family soldiered through their first set of holidays without their beloved son.
“We are often asked how are we doing. The short answer is we are continuing to heal and doing our best to live our lives,” the statement said. “We celebrated Christmas this year, not like in years past, when we would have a house filled with loved ones. We snuck away this year, to someplace different, because now everything is different. But that was OK. We are, and will continue to make new memories while holding on to ones from precious years gone by.”
The Richard family was standing along Boylston Street when the second bomb exploded, killing Martin and severing Jane’s left leg. Henry was not physically injured. Their mother, Denise, lost vision in one eye and their father, Bill, suffered hearing loss and shrapnel injuries to his legs.
“Medical appointments still consume many hours of every week, but our healing progresses. Jane is walking with a new prosthesis, and to our surprise is playing basketball for her CYO team (please don’t tell her doctors!),” the family wrote. “Martin would be a 4th grader on that same team with Jane. We know he would be out there making sure Jane got her opportunities to score and being the floor general he always was. Henry is busy maintaining good grades as a sixth grader, preparing himself for that big transition into 7th grade.”
The Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation — operating as Team MR8, a mix of Martin’s initials and his favorite number — will “honor Martin’s message of ‘No more hurting people — peace’ by investing in education, athletics and community,” his family said.
“This foundation will be a legacy for Martin, allowing us to ‘pay it forward’ and make a difference in ways that would make him proud but also be a source of healing and purpose for us,” the statement said.
Those hoping to run the marathon in Martin’s memory are asked to visit www.TeamMR8.org.
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