Road Race in Memory of Slain Teacher

Thousands of people ran a 5K in memory of Colleen Ritzer on Sunday.

There was a sea of pink Sunday in North Andover, Massachusetts, to honor Colleen Ritzer, a native of the community who was tragically killed two years ago.

"When she walked into a room, all I can picture is her glowing smile, and that glowing smile honestly lit up the room," said Ritzer's friend, Dan Brennan.

Those who knew her say she loved teaching math at Danvers High School. Her life was cut short when she was raped and murdered, allegedly by one of her students.

"She honestly did find good in every day, and was just such a wonderful person," said Brennan.

To keep her legacy going, close to 4,000 walkers and runners signed up to participate in the second annual "Step Up for Colleen 5K."

Along with the race, the community came together to raise money for scholarships, supporting students pursuing education degrees. Ritzer's family did not want to speak to the media, but her father was grateful to see his daughter's memory living on in North Andover.

"As people started walking, running by, he said, 'Nina, I couldn't really be a part of it psychologically or emotionally last year,'" said Nina Caron, the director of the 5K. "But he said, 'I'm taking it all in now,' and he just looked at me and said, 'I thank you.'"

Race officials tell necn they were able to give five students scholarships last year. They're hoping to increase that number with the money that was raised during this year's race.

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