Saturday, June 25th Archer PT volunteered our Event Medical Coverage to the Run for Ringgold 5K and Walk.  This event was put together in 6 weeks, with the Chattanooga Track Club, Denny (of Scenic City Multisport) & Stacy Marshall, Active.com, Propex and a group of local churches and many others pitching in to donate services, money, food, etc. 

Six weeks is not a significant amount of time to put on a fund-raising race.  It may seem simple – set up a start line, pick a course, the runners run and you hand out awards…  But there is a lot of work involved in arranging for bathroom facilities, permits from cities / counties, first aid, food, water, timing chips, shirts, music, PA systems, etc.  It’s quite an accomplishment just to pull off an event.

800 people came to the Run for Ringgold, 2011

So I was very pleased to see how everyone pitched in and gave generously of their time, skills, finances, etc. for a good cause – to restore the Ringgold High athletic and music facilities for the students to enjoy in the coming year.

And people came from West Virginia, TN, and all over North Georgia to show their support – if they were not up to running the 5K, they walked.  Everyone was smiling and had a great time.  I was able to catch some great photos of the participants in the early morning mist, and caught some families whose children were running their little hearts out when they saw the finish line.  And then I saw this beautiful group of people…

A gentleman in a snow white beard, and two ladies who came out for the walk.  I wondered for a moment if the woman with crutches was going to do the entire course, and after a few steps I realized that “Yep – she’s got this.”  That in itself was class right there.

After the runners and walkers all crossed the finish line, awards were handed out for the various age group winners.  One woman was a teacher at the Ringgold Middle School, I believe, and on of her students / former students who also placed in her age group ran up to her afterwards to share her congrats.  Some old friends recognized one another and shared hugs, and new friends were made among the competitors – although no one really had competitiveness in the forefront of their minds this day.

The goal was to raise $25,000 – they actually were able to raise $30,000, and 800 people came out for the event. The awards were bricks taken from the damaged remains of the high school itself – nice touch.

People spent some time gathered around after the awards, and I spotted the gentleman with the snow white beard and the two ladies with him.  I walked up and thanked them so much for coming, and learned that they were indeed from Ringgold.  I asked if they’d had any damage from the tornadoes, and the one woman calmly replied, “Yes, our house is gone.  We lived on Cherokee Valley Road.”  My face must have turned white.  More people died on that one road than in any other specific location in the greater Chattanooga area. 

“And how are you doing now – do you have a place to live?” I asked.  “Yes, well, we’re in a mobile home, we can’t wait until we’re able to move back into a new place.”  We chatted briefly about how hard it is to wade through insurance company claims, the feelings of unsettled-ness that every storm since has brought, and so on.  But it was stunning to see that these three individuals in the midst of their loss quietly came out to support the local high school and the community.

Class. 

It was a great day, and I’m especially thankful to have met these people who chose to take time to give rather than to give up.

Some extraordinary people.

Donations can be made to this family and others affected by the tornado through Cherokee Valley Baptist Church: http://cherokeevalley.org/page/donate.php