Bolton group still rallying.

• Position: Sports

What began as four women expressing their frustration during a 6-mile run is now a budding tradition that brings Bolton together in a big way.

On the Saturday after the Boston Marathon bombings, Liz Davis-Edwards, Kathy Romeo, Kristin Gaynor and Pam Kane conversed during their run, a welcome respite from their intense CrossFit workouts. The tragedy on Boylston Street, which had seriously injured townsfolk Bill, Mary Jo and Kevin White, had taken place the previous Monday, and the harrowing events in Watertown happened just the day before.

"Last year, we never really came together for a 5K, yet everyone felt a need to do something,'' said Davis-Edwards, the president of the Bolton Rally Group, which will be putting on the second Bolton Rally 5K June 14 at Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton. "At the end of that run, we decided we'd do a 5K.''

Within four days, a website was accepting registrations for an event on June 1 benefiting the White family and One Fund Boston.

In that time, Deb Kotlarz, Joyce Sidopoulis, Mary Ann Flynn and Linda Day were on board helping. Lisa Shepple and Karen Regan were also there, and before they knew it, there was an energetic committee of 15.

Though the weather was sweltering on race day, the turnout was immense for something that had gained steam in less than six weeks. About 600 runners/walkers were on hand, including 150 kids for the 1-mile fun run.

"It was a great, great day,'' said Davis-Edwards, who noted last year's event raised $35,000. "It was a tremendous experience for everyone who was there. It provided a positive light out of something that was so awful.''

While it was mission accomplished raising funds to help the Whites and the One Fund, there was support for such a successful event going annual.

"Over the year, we had a lot of questions from people in town, were we going to do it again?'' said Davis-Edwards, who reconvened the rally committee in February. "We were finding need in the community, and with the rally, we're coming to meet that need.''

The committee didn't have to look far to find a worthy cause. This year's Bolton 5K Rally will benefit the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps, a nonprofit organization in Lancaster that services up to 100 foster children at a time.

"We saw what they did, and we had the most incredible meeting with them, gaining such an appreciation for what they do,'' Davis-Edwards said, noting 11 Nashoba Regional students are currently served by RFK. "It's a...