250 Grumpy's 5K runners jog on the bogs

Nov 5, 2016

As a cranberry grower, nature advocate and photographer, Bob “Grumpy” Conway combined his passions to show others the woods and bogs he loved in a new light.

His photographs – a close up of a flower spider, a fierce owl, a dragonfly with frozen wings – were hung up where runners in the 6th Annual Grumpy’s 5K rested after finishing the race, held on Nov. 5 at A.D. Makepeace headquarters.

“He wanted to the cranberry growers to realize how important they were to the local environment, that the bogs were home to so much wildlife,” said Claire Smith, Conway’s sister, and a race organizer. “He wanted to show everyone that through his photographs.”

Conway, who passed away in 2010, was a cranberry grower at A.D. Makepeace for more than 45 years. Through his photography, he documented countless plant and animal species, and he helped to spread his knowledge of the area by working with state agencies, local land trusts, Audubon groups, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Alongside the MassDEP, Conway developed a management plan for Myles Standish State Forest, said Smith.

Peter Beaton, another race organizer, said Conway told stories through his award-winning photography.

“He was a great communicator and loved to educate,” said Beaton, who is also the chair of the Cranberry Educational Foundation.

In fact, the Cranberry Educational Foundation was launched at Conway’s suggestion. The foundation provides scholarships to students studying the field of cranberry agriculture, the environment or natural resources.

Funds raised at Saturday’s race were donated to the foundation.

This year, the number of people participating in the race almost doubled compared to last year.

According to Smith, this year featured the largest field of runners to date.

Rebecca Cotugno was the female with the fastest time in this year’s race and was running for the fourth time.

The secret to the race’s success is simple she said: “It has the most beautiful course and the best food.”

Also running were 55 employees of Ocean Spray and their friends and families. Wearing bright orange shirts with the cooperative’s logo the team was hard to miss.

“This race is a great way to get outside and enjoy nature. And one of the bogs was being harvesting today. That’s not something you normally see while running a 5K,” said Keli Sandford, one of the Ocean Spray runners.

To see the results from the race, visit www.racewire.com.