BY MANUEL C. “MANNY” CORREIRA

Those of you who know Bryan Ganley understand completely his dedication to the sport of running and his commitment to the Samaritans of Rhode Island. For him, it’s been an unbeatable combination and a labor of love.

The Barrington native, who now resides in Bristol, has been a crusader in both areas during the majority of his adult life. He has particularly benefitted from his association with the Samaritans.

Now 56 years old, Bryan recently went a step further as a member of the Newport Polar Bears, to help 13-year-old Alyssa Lopes, who is suffering from a heart condition. He was one of many people who dipped into the chilly Atlantic Ocean on New Year’s Day to help contribute to the “A Wish Come True” organization and Ms. Lopes, who was this year’s A Wish Come True recipient.

According to its website, A Wish Come True was founded in 1982 and is the oldest wish- granting organization in RI. It has been serving sick children and their families in the community for over 34 years, granting wishes of medically qualified children ages 3 through 18 who have a life-threatening illness and live in Rhode Island and areas of southeastern Massachusetts. Bryan Ganley has been instrumental in assisting throughout the process.

Brought up in Barrington, Bryan attended Barrington High School and competed on the track team in the pole vault event. His dad, the late Walter Ganley and a World War II hero, also showed athletic prowess as a sparring partner for legendary world heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano. So, athleticism runs deep in the family.

As time progressed, Bryan met the late Kayleigh Raposa of Warren, a budding three-sport star athlete who was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 2007.

“Kayleigh and I swam in the Newport Polar Bears Plunge just seven weeks before she died,” Bryan recalled. “She was just a vibrant, fantastic young kid. I was devastated when I heard the news that she had died. In 2008, I ran in her 5K memorial race and from that point on, I got hooked on running.”

To date, Bryan has competed in almost 50 half-marathons, and was the Rhode Island Road Runners team Devil Dogs “Iron Man Award” recipient four years in a row. This year, for the first time ever, he will compete in the world famous Boston Marathon on April 18.

His connection with the Samaritans of RI is quite inspiring and compelling. Samaritans Executive Director Denise Panichas says Bryan has been one of the organization’s greatest ambassadors.

As she explained, “When life-long East Bay resident Bryan Ganley dons his trademark Viking horns and shouts his recognizable Tarzan call to rally the runners at the 2016 Boston Marathon, most of those around him will not know that while on the outside he will appear as an inspiring cheerleader, on the inside his heart and mind will be filled with memories of loved ones, friends and strangers from the East Bay and throughout Rhode Island who have died by suicide. In fact, they will not know that Bryan will be carrying the ashes of his niece Dana throughout the 26.2 miles. And, he will be running representing The Samaritans of Rhode Island.”

Ms. Panichas continued, “Only running for the past eight years, Bryan already had 48 half marathons to his name and it has been a goal to run the Boston Marathon.

"The opportunity to run was presented to him on Oct. 25 at the Pell Bridge Run, where Bryan served for the third consecutive year as the co-captain of The Samaritans ‘Cross the Bridge to Hope.’ It was there that Ken Walsh of East Greenwich, who ran the 2015 Boston Marathon to benefit The Samaritans approached me about offering his 2016 Boston Marathon bib to Bryan. It is Ken’s goal that each year a survivor of a loved one’s suicide could use the bib to benefit The Samaritans, but most importantly, find a place of healing, remembrance and love. The previous year’s bib holder would be there to coach and support the new runner as he or she prepared for the arduous training schedule.”

According to Ms. Panichas, it was with mixed emotions that both she and Mr. Walsh knew Bryan was the perfect choice to accept the bib. Tragically, one week before the Pell Bridge run, he had lost his niece, Dana, to suicide.

“I gave Bryan the opportunity to opt out of the Pell run,” she said, “but I knew Bryan well enough to know not participating just wasn’t his style. I was pretty certain he would want to be there for the other members of Team Samaritans and most importantly to honor the memory of his niece.”

Bryan Ganley has been a volunteer for The Samaritans since 1981 taking a short hiatus and returning again in 2007. Since that time, according to Ms. Panichas, he has been a mentor to new volunteers and a cheerleader for the agency’s programs including the Life Line prison program.

“Most recently, Bryan and his wife, Dee, have been major fund-raisers of Team Samaritans RI and the ‘Cross the Bridge to Hope’ campaign at the Pell Bridge Run,” Ms. Panichas reported.

Bryan was also the inspiration for The Samaritans newest initiative for greater outreach into the East Bay communities.

“One evening,” recalled Ms. Panichas, “Bryan sent me a text that someone had jumped from the Mount Hope Bridge. When I asked how he knew, Bryan relayed that helicopters were flying overhead. It was clearly a visual none of us living in the metro Providence area ever see. From that evening, I interviewed Bryan and others from Block Island, Newport, Jamestown, Middletown, Bristol and other coastal communities, and realized we could do more to raise awareness of our Hotline and our web resources. To kick-start its coastal community outreach, the agency has joined the chambers of commerce in the East Bay and on Block Island and will soon disseminate its newest brochure, ‘The Samaritans serving the Coastal Communities of Rhode Island.’

“From our ‘Cross the Bridge to Hope’ campaign to the Boston Marathon, the East Bay communities should be proud that a local resident like Bryan has been diligent in his quest to raise awareness that suicide should never be an option. What is just amazing is that in spite of his own losses, Bryan is forever hopeful that tomorrow can be a better day and one more life can be saved. We couldn’t be any prouder that he is part of The Samaritans”.

Seated leisurely at his kitchen table during a recent interview, you could sense that Bryan was never hesitant about explaining past tragedies. He first talked straightforwardly about his friend, Paul.

“When I was 21 years old, my best friend, Paul, committed suicide,” he said. “Paul called me that night and talked of numerous issues that were bothering him and he said he wanted to take his own life. I told him not to talk like that and that everything would be fine. Paul took his life that night. Determined not to go through risking another friend’s loss, I contacted the Samaritans of Rhode Island in 1981, one year after Paul’s death. There, I learned the skills to work the Crisis Hotline/Listening Line, even helping to train and mentor new volunteers and eventually assisting in other areas of our work in suicide prevention.”

Tragedy struck the Ganley family again on Oct. 17, 2015, one week before the annual Pell Bridge Run, when Bryan’s niece, Dana, died by suicide.

“After years of training and dealing in crisis intervention,” he said, “I now find myself on the ‘other side’ with the same people who have also gone through this tragic loss of a loved one. With Paul, I had an excuse. I knew nothing about how to deal with depressed or suicidal people. Now, after 34 years after my first shift on the lines, I wonder how I missed it. That’s the guilt that people feel. The survivors always feel the guilt. This is why we say suicide doesn’t end the pain; it’s just passed to someone else. That person is the survivor…the family member or friend.”

He added, “But, my training has also taught me that I am not responsible for her choice nor is anyone else. My training also taught me that my niece’s life (and all those who passed) had value and that value didn’t end when she passed. My training also taught me to remember the love. So, on April 18, 2016, Patriots Day, I will be proudly running the Boston Marathon for the Samaritans of Rhode Island.”

“I’ve dedicated myself to doing this for the Samaritans of RI and their cause of suicide prevention,” he said. “It’ll be emotional for me, for sure. This marathon will be more than running 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston. It will be about healing and about love. I will not be alone on this journey. All the people I have reached through the Samaritans will be with me. All the people who meant so much to me will also be with me, including my friend, Kayleigh Raposa, who passed away tragically and whose 5K memorial race inspired me to become a runner. And, of course, I will run remembering the love of my niece, Dana, whose ashes I will carry over the course of the 26.2 mile route…the same route Olympians and champions before us have run.”

“I have plenty of inspiration to take with me to the finish line where I will spread Dana’s ashes and hopefully be able to let go of a small bit of pain. This journey is about healing and about hope. There is hope. Depression is treatable. Suicide is preventable. There really is help out there.”

Here's how to help Bryan        

If you would like to support Bryan Ganley in his 2016 Boston Marathon Run, donations can be made online at www.crowdrise.com/bryanganley or by mailing a donation to: The Samaritans of Rhode Island, P.O. Box 9086, Providence RI 02940.  A fund-raising dinner will be held on March 25 at the Common Fence Point Community Center in Portsmouth. Details will be announced at www.samaritansri.org. If you have any questions, contact The Samaritans business line at 401.721.5220.