Windham Center 5K Run/Walk pays tribute to beloved school janitor

By Nicole Levine

Windham Town Hall will be hosting its annual Windham Center 5K Run/Walk at 5 p.m. July 9 at 5 p.m. in memory of Windham’s beloved Elliot P. Fogg (1929-1999). The event includes a free dinner sponsored by Corsetti’s and money raised from the run/walk will be donated to the American Lung Association of Maine.

The late Elliot Fogg is shown with his horse,
Speedy Michael. The annual Windham Center
5K Run?Walk is dedicated to the memory of
Fogg, who died of lung cancer shortly after
he retired from working as a janitor at
Windham High School. COURTESY PHOTO 

Fogg was a World War II veteran, horse racer, and a custodian at Windham High School from March 1974 until June 1999. He died of lung cancer on July 24, 1999.

He was born Oct. 17, 1929, and discovered his passion for horses as a young boy. He began racing when he was 16 with Sulkies, his first horse, and continued to be involved with horse racing until the early 1960s. Fogg grew up in Windham and graduated from Windham High school. He served our country during World War II with the U.S. Army as a member of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Corps and was stationed in Detroit, Michigan.

After his time in military service, Fogg returned to Maine where he began working as a custodian at Windham High School on March 12, 1974. He served in that job at WHS for 25 years until his courageous battle with lung cancer ended in 1999.

Kim Bartholomew, WHS’s health and physical education teacher, described Fogg as having an incredibly bubbly character.

“He worked on the second floor in the evening, and you could hear him from all over the school,” Bartholomew said. “He would sing and his laugh was infectious.”

Fogg was also known to bring Christmas presents for many of the staff. Bartholomew said that everyone seemed to have a deep sense of fondness for him. The little things Fogg did from cleaning the halls of the high school, to putting a smile on someone’s face, demonstrated his authenticity and the meaningful impact he had upon those around him.

The Windham High School yearbook staff had dedicated the 1999 issue to Fogg a couple of months before his death. Yearbook staff members wrote about Fogg that “He is kind, generous, and always willing to offer a smile” and he was also known for bringing a sense of friendliness to the halls of Windham High.

After his death, a Run/Walk for the American Lung Association was created in his memory.

The cost for entering this year's race will be determined by the purchase date. The Wicked Early Bird Pre-Registration, which was through Oct. 17 (Elliot’s birthday), was $22 and now is $28 until race day. The cost of registering will be $35 on the day of the race from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Runner’s shirts will be provided as available upon registration.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the Overall Male and Female Winners. There will be additional opportunities to win prizes in a few different categories, such as Top Running Club, Corporate Team, and Open Teams of four or more members.

Refunds for payments will not be offered. In the event of poor weather conditions, a public health crisis, or any other events that race management is not in control of, the race will be switched to an alternate date or held virtually.

The Overall Male and Female Winners for the past couple of years were Theodore Lebryk, with a time of 18:56, and Kristine Guaraldo, timed at 23:08 in 2021. The winners for 2022 were Colbe Lewis, with a time of 20:23 and Kristine Guaraldo, timed at 27:02. Lists of past winners and participants are located on the sign-up website and can be accessed through the Windham Public Library Facebook page.

The Windham Center 5K Race is a beautiful way to honor a local hero, Elliot P. Fogg, who provided a friendly face within the halls of Windham High School for so many years. If you have any questions regarding the race, please contact Tony Myatt at Tonedog86@aol.com. <