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In the heart of Boston, amidst the bustling streets and historic landmarks, lies a beacon of hope and opportunity for the city’s youth: Boston United. What began as a simple dream in 2011 has blossomed into a powerful force for change thanks to the vision and dedication of its founders: Said Ahmed, Tony DaRocha, Barbara Hamilton, and Ted Loska.
BUnited started small with a weekly program at the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex in Roxbury. From here, we could also ensure that success on the track would become success off the track with academic support and mentorship year-round. Education would be fundamental to ensuring all the barriers in the lives of Boston’s youth would fall to the wayside as they build the city’s future. With this passion for sport and youth development, BUnited welcomed Sekou Dilday and Elizabeth Reynolds Lupo to their coaching ranks.
With so many educators among our coaching team, we spared no effort in ensuring that each and every one of our athletes had the tools they needed to excel both on and off the track.
But, the COVID-19 pandemic would test the limits of both the city itself and BUnited. We remained vigilant of all that was happening, and it was clear that Boston’s youth would need to be supported more than ever to ensure the possibilities of a brighter future remained in their hearts. We needed to rebuild, but with so many of Boston’s youth in dire need, rebuilding would have to happen along with maintaining the members who still needed to stay connected.
And so, our athletes stayed with us. Our athletes were graduating high school with athletic and academic scholarships. Our athletes were championing each other to keep building themselves. And our athletes were building our program with us. What could have been the end for so many programs like BUnited, became an opportunity for our athletes and families to say we are all BUnited.
Now closing 2023 and heading into 2024, we see a bright future for the program and our athletes. Building on past successes and deepening our collaborations, BUnited is here to stay.