Get ready for a VERY long post packed FULL of pictures.
My friend Colleen just organized a city-wide 5K run for her neighbors the Bouchard family who recently lost their twin daughters to Niemann-Pick Disease Type C. Sweet Cathryn and Corryne passed away shortly after their first birthdays within months of each other. Heartbroken for her friends, Colleen poured her heart and soul into joining her friends in their crusade to raise money to find a cure - and her dream of a 5K Race for the Angel Twins began to take shape.
After months of planning, her dream became reality. Though the weather was frigid and the winds were miserable, old and young alike turned out to show their support for this wonderful family. I was brought to tears on several occasions as I witnessed so much love poured out for this family in such a tangible way.
Colleen will be posting more pics on the race blog, but in the meantime I wanted to share some of my favorite memories from the event and tell the story in a way that I hope will touch Colleen's heart.
I'll start with my favorite memory - my dear friend Colleen. If ever you want a friend in your corner, she's the gal! A bigger heart you won't find. Though she had never organized a 5K before, Colleen didn't let that stop her. From meeting with city officials to organizing the tiniest of details (port-o-potties and all), Colleen has done an amazing job! She has to be one of THE most resourceful people I have ever met. From teaching herself JAVA scripts online to starting her own custom card business (see link at right), nothing holds her back. Just check her out on race day!
An old friend from High School MC'd the event, but Colleen was always on hand to give last minute details keeping everyone informed and everything running smoothly.
When she found out the mile markers had not been put in place, she ran the course (Yes, the whole course...) herself setting everything up just in the knick of time.
Colleen's husband, Steve, was such a huge blessing to her throughout the planning of this event. Here he is manning the water station with several of the local teens that came out to volunteer their time - despite the cold. It's been so awesome to see how Steve has been there for Colleen every step of the way as she journeyed down this heart mission of hers to minister to her friends in their hour of need. What a guy!
On to the race itself:
I want you to notice all the young people and families that came out to take part in this event. What an amazing outpouring of love for the Bouchard family! Even a local girl scout troop came out.
And they're off...
One particular highlight of my day was when I asked a group of runners if I could take their picture after the 5K. They told me that they were running with their friend as part of her bachelorette party. They may as well have been in a bar dancing and having drinks with as much fun as they were having. What a great (and meaningful) way to spend time with your best buds before tying the knot. These ladies totally inspired me! (Email me, ladies, and I'll get you a copy of these pics!) Congratulations on the upcoming wedding!
Here's the bride to be.
And her Bridal party!
And the Groom...I assume! Gotta love a little playful tackle right before the finish line...
Even the Chic-Fil-A cow came out to support the race and spread some cheer. The little girls LOVED him! Can you believe these girls were out there running in the race - the 5K race! How awesome and inspiring is that?
Before I move on to other fun highlights from the day, I want to be sure to post the pictures of the winners of both the 1 mile run/walk and the 5K. You'll have to check the Run for the Angel Twins link at the right to find out their names though. I haven't received that info yet.
This young man crossed the finish line first for the 1 Mile run/walk event. He later ran the 5K as well. Oh...to be young and ambitious again.
Here's the exuberant first lady to cross the finish line in the 1 mile run/walk. I love that she saw me and posed for me. The joy and pride on her face is priceless.
Yes, you read that right, folks. That's a time of 19:12 for a 5K! And, if you understood how cold and windy it was that morning (check out the flags), you'd be even more impressed!
It doesn't come easy though. These runners work hard and are so committed!
Equally impressive was the first female to cross the finish line for the 5K at just over 23 minutes. That's fast, folks! This picture was taken before the race started. Something about her Run On red jacket tipped me off to the fact that she was going to be a contender, so I made a point of asking if I could take her picture! And boy am I glad I did, because I missed her crossing the finish line while I was over by the space heater thawing my frozen fingers out. You simply can't wear gloves and operate a camera at the same time - at least I can't. And, I had left my fingerless gloves at home not having anticipated how cold and windy it was going to be. So sorry I missed your moment, girl!
Also making the race a success were all the volunteers that showed up to add to the festive feel of the event. Everyone was there to celebrate the life of Cathryn and Corryne and the face painter on hand did a marvelous job helping to add joy to the day. She volunteered her time to paint the runner's faces and had the angel twins logo down pat. I'm hoping Colleen will put a link on the race blog to plug her business. She was so sweet! Keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, just look at her beautiful work (and the beautiful people that served as her canvases)!
As I alluded to earlier, I relied rather heavily on the space heater I found secretly hidden in the face painting tent. Every five minutes or so I'd have to run in there to thaw my frozen fingers out. Though I grew up in the Midwest, I'm still not very good at handling the cold. There's a reason I live in Texas now!
While I was originally going to train to run in this event, I'm glad I was there to take pictures for Colleen and for the family instead. It allowed me to see things I probably wouldn't have even noticed had I come to run. I saw fathers running with their young children - and the joy on their faces as they crossed the finish line together. I saw little girls running knowingly for a cause greater than themselves. I saw determination and even joy as everyone gathered together to celebrate the lives of two very special little girls whose time on earth was cut way too short. I hope you are able to sense just a little of that emotion through the images I've posted today. It was a great experience.
And it was not in vain...
As of Saturday (race day), Colleen informed me that close to 400 runners had pre-registered and they had raised over $8,000 for the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation which works diligently to find a cure for this fatal disease. It's not too late to contribute to the Angel Twins mission. Click on the link at the right to make your donation.
1 comment:
I know I told you before but I love the post and your kind words. I will treasure it forever, my friend. Thank you for being such a awesome support in the cause as well!
Keep up all your great work and sharing your heart.
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