FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Deb Pawlowicz Inducted into Grandma's Marathon Hall of Fame
Last of Six Inductees Planned for Class of 2022
(DULUTH, MINN.) --- Deb Pawlowicz has been inducted into the Grandma's
Marathon Hall of Fame, the last of six individuals set to be enshrined as
the Class of 2022 after making longstanding and meaningful contributions to
the race and community.
Pawlowicz was a longtime employee of Voyageur Bus Company and served more
than three decades as the race day transportation dispatcher, playing a
large role in moving close to 20,000 runners each year to the start line of
both Grandma's Marathon and the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. In her
tenure, Pawlowicz was part of driving or loading more than 5,000 buses on
race weekend.
"I've really enjoyed my time working for Grandma's Marathon," Pawlowicz
said. "My favorite part of it all has been the chance to work with my kids.
They've been with me through all of it. We've gone home a lot of times
freezing cold or very warm, but we've enjoyed it all."
Early in her Grandma's Marathon tenure, Pawlowicz assembled what she now
lovingly calls her "loading team," which over the years has included her
daughters Jamie Monette and Erin Maly.
"When I started working with my mom, the kids were on rollerblades and
that's how we got around the DECC parking lot," Monette said. "My favorite
part has always been the people and just hearing their stories as they wait
in line for the buses."
"There's something about the excitement getting that 3:30 a.m. text asking
if you're awake," Maly added. "It's super fun to see all the people every
year. The energy and organization of a Grandma's Marathon weekend is
insane."
Pawlowicz was officially inducted into the Grandma's Marathon Hall of Fame
during a virtual ceremony, and she joins Rick Recker, Jim Greenfield, Glenn
Evavold, and Monica Halligan as members of the six-person Class of 2022.
This year's class is the largest since the Hall of Fame's inaugural year in
1996, and the Hall of Fame is now made up of 85 individuals, organizations,
and municipalities.
A video of Pawlowicz's official induction ceremony can be viewed at the
link below. For any other interview requests or questions, please contact
Marketing & Public Relations Director Zach Schneider at (218) 343-9874 or
zach@grandmasmarathon.com.
Deb Pawlowicz HOF Ceremony --- www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8A-wlnRs4s
ABOUT GRANDMA'S MARATHON
Grandma's Marathon began in 1977 when a group of local runners planned a
scenic road race from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. There were just 150
participants that year, but organizers knew they had discovered something
special. Grandma's Marathon weekend draws more than 20,000 participants for
its three-race event each June.
The race got its name from the Duluth-based group of famous Grandma's
Restaurants, the first major sponsor of the marathon. Over time, the level
of sponsorship with the restaurants changed, but the name stayed the same.
Grandma's Marathon-Duluth, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit
organization with a 17-member Board of Directors and a nine-person,
full-time staff.
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