‘Dolce Green’: JHS cross country carries coach’s memory every step
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Tony Dolce seemed to be everywhere.
Whether teaching history at Jamestown High School, serving on City Council, coaching baseball and cross country, or singing at Holy Apostles Parish, Dolce was a familiar presence throughout the community he loved so dearly.
And, somewhere in between, he always found time to run -- often in a neon green shirt. Over the years, his Jamestown High School cross country runners developed a name for that familiar color: "Dolce Green."
"The shirts were special. 'Dolce Green' became a thing the kids created," said Cristin Hockenberry, JHS girls cross country coach. "They noticed that he had an extraordinary amount of neon green shirts that he would show up to practice wearing."
A couple of years ago, the team turned that observation into a "Dolce Green" spirit day at practice. The runners loved it. So did their coach.
"While at cross country meets, we'd sometimes lose track of where Tony was," JHS boys cross country coach Steve Sipior said. "The neon shirt was the only way we could pick him out from a distance."
Now, the shirts that once helped them pick their coach out from a mile away are helping them keep his memory close. Since Dolce's sudden passing on July 18 at the age of 64, the program has made "Dolce Green" part of its meet-day warmups, brought the color to a community tribute and raised money for a scholarship in his name.
After his passing, the team's booster club purchased Dolce Green shirts for the athletes. The runners decided to wear them to his funeral. For a team grieving its coach, matching shirts carried particular meaning. Dolce had loved seeing the runners wear all black for their warmups at meets. In his words, they looked "sharp."
Now, that tribute has extended beyond the team and into the greater Jamestown community.
When Dolce's family established the Anthony "Tony" Dolce Scholarship at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, the program looked for an opportunity to help. The city's plan to dedicate the Tony Dolce Riverwalk Bike Path on Oct. 15 offered a fitting occasion to bring the community together in his signature color.
As a city council member, Dolce had helped develop the path and frequently used it for his own recreation. To mark its dedication, the cross country program collected shirt orders from staff throughout Jamestown's schools. JHS also designated a "Dolce Day" during spirit week.
"When the city reached out to let us know they were honoring Tony with the bike path, it became the perfect opportunity to have a sea of Dolce Green," Hockenberry said.
Together, the purchases generated more than $1,400 for the scholarship.
For Sipior, seeing the shirts -- which bear "Coach Dolce" on a red heart -- has been emotional. The detail captures what he meant to the program.
"Seeing Tony's family, JHS staff and others wearing the shirts is enough to bring tears to my eyes," he added.
"Cross country running takes heart. Tony was at the heart of our team, and our hearts are still broken."
That sense of loss reaches across the many parts of the community Dolce served. A history teacher at JHS, he was a beloved advisor to five graduating classes and a Student Organization advisor. He coached baseball and cross country, spent 33 years on City Council, served on the Jamestown Area YMCA board, and cantored and sang at Holy Apostles Parish.
He was also a deeply devoted husband to wife Anne and father to children Amelia and Christian. Just a month before his passing, the family celebrated Amelia's marriage.
For Hockenberry, his devotion to his family and community was woven into the everyday moments she now misses.
"I miss the laughs, the inside jokes, and the random phone calls when he was sitting around the high-top table in his kitchen with his family, and I'd get a call and hear some funny story, and he and Anne would make fun of me because it was past my bedtime," she said.
There were also the familiar sights of Dolce arriving at practice with a Tim Hortons coffee and a grin, transporting the team tent, and gathering with his fellow coaches for a parking-lot selfie after a long day at a meet.
"I miss all those little things because they really were big things," Hockenberry said.
His steady presence was something both coaches hope today's runners will carry forward.
"Tony was the guy who 'lived it,'" Sipior said. "Running was a part of his life, and he was very willing to share that with the kids. I hope that today's runners learn from Tony's consistency. Tony never had an excuse; he just strapped on his shoes and ran. Every. Single. Day."
The program will also carry his example forward through the new Tony Dolce North Star Award, honoring a runner who provides a steady, positive presence, encouragement, humor and guidance for teammates.
As the award's description explains: "Like the North Star, this person doesn't have to be the loudest or fastest to make a difference -- they are simply a constant others can look to when they need direction."
Meanwhile, the runners continue to remember Dolce in their own ways: sharing stories, stopping at his gravesite during Wednesday runs and pulling on those familiar green shirts before a meet.
"It's been a tough season in a lot of ways, but it's also been a really beautiful season," Hockenberry said. "It has been pretty special to see the kids keep his memory alive in their own ways."
"He loved running, he loved these kids, and he loved being part of this program," she added. "We miss him, but we'll keep finding ways to carry a little bit of Dolce with us every step."
To learn more or donate to the Community Foundation's Dolce Scholarship Fund, visit crcf.me/dolce.