Shore Run and Walk returns June 11

The Shore Run and Walk will celebrate its 40th year on June 11.  It’s a remarkable feat considering it started with a small group of women organized by local resident Charlotte (Charlee)  Hutchinson Reed to raise funds for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.  

Charlee’s father Dr. William Hutchinson chose to honor his brother Fred who had fought a losing battle against cancer by establishing the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.   Fred  was a beloved professional baseball player for the Detroit Tigers;  he took the Cincinnati Reds to the World Series as their manager.  He also managed the beloved Seattle Rainiers team.

Each year the Race grew and changed.  In the beginning the local committee did it all, processing registrations and collecting the donations at the home of another local  resident Corky Stark.  Eventually the overwhelming details of executing a race that has now grown to 2,000 plus participants required hiring a race director,  but throughout the 40th years, Charlee and her local committee of new and old volunteers has stayed on top of the planning.

Now they support the event’s  fund-raising efforts and they  work to keep the race an important Madison Park community event.  Laurie Frink chairs the end of race “Party-in-the-Park” in Madison Park with its Awards Ceremony, food and freebies mid-way and it’s ever-popular drawing for the many prizes that Madison Park merchants donate orchestrated  by local committee member Rebecca Riesen.  

There you can find long-time Shore Run volunteer Annette Rieger and her family working behind a popular table piled with race shirts from past years.  You can claim your prized old shirt for a donation if you choose.

The Survivors Table at Party-in-the-Park honors participants who have battled cancer.  Local resident Janice Beede and  Myra Hanover hand out Survivor gifts under-written each year by locals Chuck and Linda Barbo. “ It is a honor to meet and hear the heart-warming stories of these courageous  survivors”, Janice said.

At 10:15 a.m. Party-in-the-Park turns its attention to the gaggle of kids lined up at the south- west corner of the Park for the Bert’s Red Apple Kid’s Run. Each participant receives a Kids Run t-shirt with art work designed by a student from the Hutch School where cancer patients and their siblings go to school and a medal from  committee-member Joe Poe Richardson and her helpers.   As each child crosses the finish line Terry Short from Bert’s Red Apple and his helpers hand out “goody-bags” from the store.

This year the fundraising theme in honor of 40 years will encourage each participant to donate $4, $40 or $140 for the Hutch research efforts.  Runners and  walkers  can choose to donate when they sign up for the event at www.shorerun.com.  They can also establish  a fund-raising page at that site.  Non-participants can donate at that website too.  Registration and/or donating is available at day-of-race registration at Ferdinand Park and Leschi Park and Saturday April 10th at the Madison Park Starbucks where race participants will pick up their race packets.

Teams honoring those touched by cancer are  an important part of the race.  Prizes are awarded to the top fund-raising teams and the largest team.  Teams can be created at the  website, www.shorerun.com.  

There is something for everyone at the Shore Run and Walk:  a 10-K Run for the hearty starting at 9 a.m. at Ferdinand Park, the Zillow 5 K run and walk starting at 8:15 a.m. at Leschi Park.  Walkers will especially enjoy this 3- mile route through the picturesque neighborhood along the lake to Madison Park. And the fun-loving Kids Run at 10:15 a.m. at Madison Park.