Team Samaritans Races Toward Hope at the 2025 Boston Marathon

Kyle Anagnos: A Journey of Resilience and Determination After Losing 6 Family Members to Suicide

 

(Boston, MA – April 14, 2025) Samaritans is proud to announce its dedicated team of runners for the 2025 Boston Marathon. Comprising passionate individuals from various backgrounds, these runners are united by a common goal—to raise vital funds for mental health support and to promote the mission of Samaritans. Each member will don their official running singlets and long sleeves, proudly representing the organization as they take on the rigorous Boston course. This year’s team is not only focusing on individual accomplishments but on collective empowerment through group training sessions and community engagement.

 

Among the inspiring stories of Team Samaritans is that of Kyle Anagnos. Kyle’s journey is a poignant reflection of resilience born from unimaginable loss after losing six family members to suicide, including two of his uncles and his cousin, Josh, who stood as his greatest inspiration.

This deeply personal experience fueled his determination to run the Boston Marathon for Samaritans, as he seeks to raise awareness about mental health challenges and the importance of suicide prevention. Through his efforts, Kyle aims to inspire both the LGBTQ+ community and society at large, promoting empathy and compassion as tools to forge genuine connections that can ultimately save lives.

 

“Empathy isn’t weakness—it’s one of the greatest strengths we have,” said Anagnos. “You never know what someone is carrying. Grief, trauma, fear—so much of it lives below the surface. I’ve experienced personal loss tied to suicide, and what I’ve learned is this: what saves lives isn’t toughness. It’s connection. When we lead with compassion—when we support organizations like Samaritans—we turn empathy into action. And sometimes, that action doesn’t just change a life. It saves one.”

 

The 2025 Boston Marathon serves as a critical fundraising event for Samaritans, enabling the organization to provide essential services and support to individuals in need. The funds raised through this initiative directly contribute to programs that promote mental health awareness, prevention of suicide, and support for individuals experiencing emotional distress. Each runner's journey, including their personal fundraising commitments, plays a vital role in enhancing the lives of countless individuals in our community.

 

As Samaritans CEO Kathleen C. Marchi said, "The courage and dedication of our runners not only inspires us but also generates hope for those we serve. Together, we are making significant strides towards a future where mental health is prioritized and stigma is eliminated." The support for Team Samaritans creates ripples of change, impacting lives beyond the marathon’s finish line.

 

The full Samaritans team for the 2025 Boston Marathon is below:

• Kyle Anagnos – West Rutland, VT
• Alexandra Asselta
• Abby Bird
• Allison Cognetti – Ashland, MA
• Cole Cuzzi – Peabody, MA
• Charlotte Del Col – Wellesley, MA
• Grace Giles – Concord, MA
• Kevin Hayden – North Easton, MA
• Julia Lanzillotta
• Elizabeth Mahoney – Arlington, MA
• Abigail McCarthy
• Maddy Murphy – Framingham, MA
• Emily Nelson – Peabody, MA
• Patrick O’Leary – Reading, MA
• Christopher Rizzo
• Brian Spencer – Everett, MA

 

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Samaritans, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based suicide prevention organization that offers free, 24/7 services to all who need them. Each day, Samaritans supports hundreds of people through the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and Hey Sam, a peer-to-peer mental health support textline for young people. Samaritans also offers support groups for those grieving a loss to suicide and educational programming so anyone can learn to help those in crisis. Since 1974, Samaritans has answered more than 3 million calls, texts, and chats; educated 180,000 people to recognize signs of suicide; supported 17,000 suicide loss survivors; and trained 6,500 volunteers to provide compassionate support. Visit samaritanshope.org for more.