Newport 10 Miler Team Running with Purpose — In Memory of Bud Boyd

Each June, Team Herren Project gathers in scenic Newport, RI, for the annual Newport 10 Miler — an event that has become so much more than a race. It’s a celebration of recovery, a show of solidarity, and a powerful reminder that hope is always within reach.

In 2025, our run held even deeper meaning as we honored the life and legacy of Bud Boyd, a Herren Project Legacy Ambassador, advocate, and game changer whose light continues to guide us all.

Bud was a beloved member of the Herren Project family — a professional driver, talented musician, and unwavering advocate from Portsmouth, Rhode Island. His journey to advocacy was deeply personal, shaped by both triumph and heartbreak. After overcoming his own struggles with substance use, Bud celebrated 34 years of sobriety in January 2024. His recovery became a platform to uplift others, sharing his experience, strength, and hope with anyone who needed it.

Motivated by love and loss — especially the tragic passing of his stepson due to substance use disorder — Bud dedicated his life to being of service. “The opportunity to share my experience, strength, and hope is a gift I cherish,” he once said. That spirit of service became central to everything he did, and it’s what continues to inspire us today.

Though Bud passed away in October 2024, his impact is everlasting. His title as a Herren Project Ambassador was more than symbolic — it was a calling. In 2025, we formally honored him as a Legacy Ambassador, a recognition reserved for those whose influence lives on long after their final mile.

This year’s Newport 10 Miler team ran with Bud in our hearts. Our 11 runners laced up with purpose, raising over $9,000 in support of Herren Project’s mission to provide:

And for the first time ever, Team Herren Project ran a water station on the course — a new and meaningful way to give back and be of service, just as Bud would have done. This special moment was made even more powerful by the presence of Bud’s dear friends Pam and Dave Sardinha, along with their granddaughter, who came out to support the team and honor Bud’s memory. Their participation brought deep emotional resonance to the day and reminded us that community is at the heart of recovery.

As we ran, cheered, and handed out water, we carried Bud’s legacy forward — one step, one act of service, and one life at a time.

Bud Boyd showed us what it means to live with purpose, lead with compassion, and never stop giving back. He was a beacon of hope, and through Team Herren Project, his light continues to shine.

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