MECHANICSBURG – For the fifth year, Running4Life is holding a run/walk and other events in Mechanicsburg to help a local family with a child facing a medical challenge.
This year’s annual Freeze Out will include a one-mile and 5K walk and run through the village’s Goshen Memorial Park and on village sidewalks and roadways. There also will be a chili cook-off and dessert auction.
A portion of the proceeds will go to the Elisabeth and Jesse Bodey family, whose son Isaac, 20 months old, is undergoing tests at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to learn about his brain lesions and seizures. Isaac has four siblings, John, 11, Samuel, 9, Luke, 6, and Asher, 4. The family lives in St. Paris and owns Bodey Family Tree Service, located in St. Paris.
Some of the funds raised at the nonprofit’s event each year go toward a particular family living in Champaign, Logan, Clark or Union county to help with expenses related to a seriously ill or injured child, expenses such as gas money, rent, utility costs, food and medical costs. Remaining funds are saved to assist other families throughout the year.
The Feb. 14 event will start at 2 p.m. in Goshen Memorial Park. Entry into the one-mile or 5K run/walk is $10. Participants will receive a complimentary cup of chili, a drink and a cookie. Participation medals go to the first 30 people who register. Registration is on the day of the event and can be made with cash or check.
There is no charge to enter the chili cook-off or the dessert auction. The food should be at the park by 2 p.m. Each person entering the cook-off is asked to prepare a crock-pot-sized portion to help feed the run-walk participants. Other hungry people will be asked to make a donation for a share of chili. Chili entries will be judged by local dignitaries.
Kathy Durham, president of Running4Life, expressed appreciation for the nonprofit’s officers, members and volunteers, including local first responders and businesses.
“Without these folks and our steadfast officers, these events would not happen, so my deepest gratitude is to them and their families for their sacrifice in the hours it takes to plan and execute the events,” Durham said.
She encouraged those who wish to help with this or upcoming events or who wish to donate to the organization or to a specific youth or who know of a youth’s family in need to visit the Running4Life Facebook site: www.facebook.com/runfearless4life/
