4.09M Run benefitting the Be Strong Stay Strong Fund™
The 4.09 Mile Run is the opportunity for the local running community to help one of our own severely impacted by the events at the Boston Marathon. All proceeds from the run will be donated by the Howard County Striders to the Be Strong Stay Strong Fund™. At this time, donations are not tax deductible. The full course will be 4.09 miles — you can walk or run one loop, as well, which would be approximately 2+ miles.
On a warm, breezy, and sunny Sunday, over 300 runners came to Oakland Mills High School to run the Howard County Striders’ 4.09 Mile Run Benefitting the Be Strong Stay Strong Fund. This, however, was not a regular Striders event, and it drew many new people. This was a very special race; a fundraiser that was very emotional for the running community. On April 15th, 2013, when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, two local high school graduates were severely injured. Erika Brannock and her sister, Nicole Gross, both graduates of Mt. Hebron High School, were at the finish line to cheer on their mother, Carol Downing. Nicole suffered two broken legs in the blast, and her husband Michael was burned. Erika lost her leg above the knee as a result of her injuries. A fund has been started to help with the ongoing medical costs – the Be Strong Stay Strong Fund (http://www.bestrongstaystrong.net/) – and this race was a fundraiser for that cause. The distance of the race was for the time on the race clock at the time of the explosion; it was 4 hours and 9 minutes into the marathon. Unlike many races, there were no t-shirts or food at this race. The Striders wanted to donate as much money as possible to the fund, so to that end they donated the timing chips and numbers, and decided to forgo the normal race day amenities. All proceeds from the $15 registration fee and any other donations went to the fund.
Carol Downing, the mother of Erika Brannock and Nicole Gross, was expected to run at the race, but was unable to make it. This was good news, however; Erika was being released from the hospital and returning home to Maryland, and her mother was in Boston to be at her side. According to a story aired with Brian Williams in an interview with all seven women who lost limbs in the explosion, Erika was the last to be released from the hospital, so that is very encouraging news indeed.
The race was a wonderful event that was rendered exceptionally poignant when a number of family members of Erika and Nicole crossed the finish line holding hands in support of their family. There were two large cards for the family that were signed by most of the race participants, and family supporters were selling beautiful technical t-shirts in support of the fund. The race raised over $8000 for the fund, with donations still coming in.
