By Stan Friedman
BOSTON, MA (April 15, 2013) – Dave Cairns, executive director of Pilgrim Pines Conference Center, was two-tenths of a mile short of the finish line at the Boston Marathon and witnessed both of the deadly explosions that killed three people and injured dozens more, he stated on his Facebook account this afternoon.
Cairns was uninjured as was Grant Buchholtz, an Evangelical Covenant Church short-term missionary to Japan who is home on assignment. Two explosions occurred around 2:50 p.m.
Howard Burgoyne, East Coast Conference superintendent, said his brother and wife, who were volunteering at the event and located at the finish line, also were safe. It is unknown whether any other Covenanters were attending or participating in the marathon.
“We pray for the families of the two killed and 22 injured, and for the first responders,” Burgoyne said. (The death toll had increased to three shortly following Burgoyne’s comments.)
Buchholtz and Cairns were running using the two spots reserved for Community Covenant Church, which makes its parking lot available for the marathon. The church provides the spots to runners who raise money for camping ministry.
Click here to read Buchholtz’s observations.
Covenant News Service will update this story as details become available.
For a previous story on Cairns’ fundraising effort, click here.
