In 2021, competitive runner and fitness trainer Rene Ryan started running the streets of Annville for a fundraiser dedicated to the memory of Max Schollenberger. The 12-year-old boy was found dead in his South White Oak Street home in May 2020 by police.

“This event started with just me running 37 miles by myself in a one-mile loop in the midst of COVID,” she said.

On Sunday, 86 registered runners and walkers came out to the Rotunda Brewery in Annville to participate in the third annual For the Love of Max Run/Walk. The event honors Schollenberger’s memory and is a fundraiser for the UPMC Child Advocacy Center of Central Pennsylvania.

“We need to really remember what happened so that we can prevent further instances like this, and we also want the community to know there are resources out there,” Ryan said. “It doesn’t need to result to such horrific matters.”

On May 26, 2020, Annville Township Police and members of the Lebanon County Detective Bureau found Max’s 12-year-old body in his second-floor room. The cause of death was prolonged starvation, malnutrition and blunt force trauma to the head, according to officials.

His father, Scott Schollenberger, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to charges that included criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of children, and criminal conspiracy to endanger the welfare of children. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Kimberly Maurer, his girlfriend, was found guilty by a jury in March 2022 for multiple counts of homicide, endangering the welfare of children, involuntary manslaughter and criminal conspiracy to endanger the welfare of children.

Mauer was sentenced to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder with an additional 10 to 20 years for child welfare endangerment.

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News of Max Schollenberger’s abuse and death in 2020 was a huge surprise to the Annville community, Lynn Carson, director of the UPMC Child Advocacy Center, said.

“Child abuse is one of those issues that is very hard to talk about,” she said during Sunday’s fundraiser. “It’s often invisible. People don’t see it, they don’t know anything about it and many can’t believe it’s happening in their community as in the case of Max.”

Events like Sunday’s race is a way for the community to come together to honor Max and help his legacy live on, according to Carson.

“This is not unusual,” she said. “There have been other incidents in other communities, and it really hurts people to know that they were driving by every day, and never realizing that something was happening inside that home.”

Participants raised over $5,000 for the UPMC Child Advocacy Center in 2024, raising a total of $20,000 in the last four years. The center sees 1,400 children annually, providing forensic interviews, specialized medical care, and mental health services to children who have experienced sexual or physical abuse.

The center serves Dauphin, Lebanon, Cumberland, Perry, Mifflin, Juniata, and Schuylkill counties. Children and Youth services and law enforcement refer children to the center, according to Carson.

Organizers said they plan to continue the Run For the Love of Max in the future, hoping to continue funding the advocacy center and telling Max Schollenberger’s story.

“Expect this for many years to come,” Ryan said.

The Department of Human Services operates a 24/7 hotline to report suspected child abuse or concerns about the welfare of a child. ChildLine can be reached at 800-932-0313.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Max’s Schollenberger remembered in fundraiser to prevent child abuse