DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Students at UMass-Dartmouth, where accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a marine biology major, have announced plans for a 55-mile relay run from the campus to the bombing site to raise money for One Fund, which was set up to help victims of the attack.
The torch relay is tentatively scheduled for the weekend after July 4th. Precise details have not been set. A new runner will carry the torch each mile.
"Our campus has been profoundly affected by the Marathon tragedy, and we are proud that we are coming together as one community to support the One Fund," organizer Joseph Melo, who graduates from the school Sunday, said in a news release.
Three of Tsarnaev's friends, who were also UMass-Dartmouth students at some point, have been charged with attempting to block the investigation after they allegedly tried to get rid of a backpack belonging to Tsarnaev that contained fireworks and a laptop computer. Two of the three have also been accused of overstaying their student visas,
Chancellor Divina Grossman expressed pride in "the way our students, alumni, faculty and staff have come together -- not only to support each other, but to help those harmed by this terrible tragedy."