On Saturday, May 6, friends of Pascal Weisberger will be hosting the third annual Pascal’s Way 5K Run/Walk. This event seeks to honor the life of a local teen beloved for his kindness and love for the community, whose tragic death shook the Keys in May of 2020.
A 14-year-old student and frequent volunteer, Pascal was an avid runner, and the race seeks to continue his legacy by raising money for causes and organizations that were important to him and by engaging the community in his remembrance.
Starting and ending at Treasure Village Montessori School, with a turn-around at Forest Tek Lumber, the event’s route has remained roughly the same since it was started by Ariel Poholek, Pascal’s father, and Barry Wray, Pascal’s running coach, in 2021. But its goals have changed and expanded.
This is the first year that the walk and run seeks to directly benefit local schools, whereas in previous years it has raised funds for charities like the Upper Keys Humane Society, where Pascal volunteered his time. With a suggested donation of $30, the 5K is raising money for Treasure Village Montessori and Ocean Studies Charter School, which were both schools Pascal had attended.
“I strongly believe that he was able to become the person he became as he grew older because of the educational experiences he had at Ocean Studies,” said Poholek. “That continued in the same way when he went to Treasure Village.”
Poholek describes the growth Pascal experienced in both schools, which helped him to become the beloved student, classmate and friend his community remembers him as.
“During his time at Treasure Village, Pascal grew to have more self-confidence and more positive relationships and experiences,” says Poholek. “He had very encouraging and supportive teachers there, and the friends he met made a huge difference in his life.”
As an active volunteer who contributed thousands of hours toward helping with nonprofit charitable organizations and cleanups, Pascal’s devotion to the community is reflected in this year’s goal of raising money for his elementary and middle schools. The 5K event is also inspired by his love for running, which he discovered early on in his life.
“Pascal followed in his brother Daniel’s footsteps to become an avid runner,” Poholek said, describing how Pascal grew to love the sport. “Running was a pretty significant part of his life. It was something he was doing a lot of in the last year of his life.”
Coached by Barry Wray, Pascal participated in a number of runs every year in addition to his participation in Treasure Village’s running club, and was an athlete for Unified Track. Wray remembers the immediate impression that Pascal made on him when he joined the running club when he was about 6 or 7 years old.
“I asked him once if the timed lap he just completed was hard. Exhausted, he just looked up and said ‘yes.’ There was no complaint in his response, just the honest answer,” said Wray. “He was so pure, so simple, so determined and self-inspired, with humble goals to just do his best.”
The event is set to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, at Treasure Village Montessori. Participants can sign up at https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Islamorada/PascalsWay5K, with a suggested donation of $30. Larger donations are also appreciated. Those not present in the Keys during the walk and run or those who aren’t available on May 6 are encouraged to sign up and do the 5K virtually. The virtual 5k begins on May 6 and ends on May 31. Virtual participants are encouraged to share their experiences on the Pascal’s Way Facebook page.
