Cape grad Jeremy Boyd running 240 miles from Pentagon to Ground Zero
The Last Blast Prediction 5K, the final event of the summer for the Seashore Striders, was held last weekend as the 24th Last Blast Prediction 5K took off from Grove Park Aug. 30 morning with 160 runners on the starting line. The event is the grand finale of the summer racing series; Dr. Lee Masser presents awards to all the qualifiers who finish in the top five in each of the 14 age groups. The series also awarded the Overall Series Champion and Master Champion, and all runners who have completed all 13 events of the summer received a collared race shirt. The Hank Brittingham Volunteer of the Year Award went to Jean Keifer, Jane Boyd, Alyssa Simon, and Linda Schwartz-Chi, and that is one of my highlights as race director. The Most Valuable Overall Runner awards went to Jeff Young and Cindy Conant, while Mike Sewell and Mardiny Ung took home the Most Valuable Master awards. It was a great morning topped off by Rita’s Water Ice serving its specialty at the post-race celebration.
Run to Never Forget
Former Cape student Jeremy Boyd, now living in North Carolina, was picking up pizza about two years ago and was thinking of a way he could give back to the families of 9/11. His goal was to increase awareness of the hardships the families endured and truly never forget. “I remember thinking, hey, I could run from the Pentagon to Ground Zero and raise money for a truly charitable cause that would directly impact the victims of 9/11. People would think I was crazy and out of curiosity would be intrigued enough to investigate my cause.”
Two years later, Jeremy is finally planning to make this a reality. With the help of many along the way, he is going to run roughly 240 miles with plans to arrive Sept. 11 New York City. “Unfortunately, I will not be able to run to Shanksville, Pa., where Flight 93 crashed, but they will not be forgotten during this run,” he said. Boyd will attempt to average 60 miles a day, making this a four-day journey.
Boyd will be running for two different organizations. Tuesday's Children provides support for the families of victims of 9/11, first responders and their families. Knowing how important is the role our military plays to thwart future potential attacks as well as the sacrifice they make to our country, he will be running for a military charity as well. Special Operations Warrior Foundation’s main objective is to provide full college scholarships to children of Special Operations personnel who lost their lives while serving.
“I want to truly never forget,” said Boyd. “Never forget 9/11 and the life-changing effect that day had on millions of Americans and their families. I want to never forget about the families left behind whether from the attack or service members. I want to never forget about the mental and physical issues survivors have endured, whether being present on that fateful day or working to protect our country. I want to never forget about the spouses, children, mothers and fathers, and how their lives have changed. I want to show the victims, first responders, our military and their families America will never forget, and we stand behind them. My goal is to get people to stand and show their support. I would rather see a million people donate one dollar than one person donate a million. I would rather run through New York City toward Ground Zero not alone but with hundreds if not thousands of people joining me.”
Boyd will be leaving the Pentagon Memorial at 6 a.m., Monday, Sept. 8, and arriving at the World Trade Center Memorial in late afternoon Thursday, Sept. 11. Averaging roughly 60 miles per day during the journey, he will be staying at fire stations along the way. A support crew will meet him every 5-10 miles along the route to replenish water, electrolytes, food, etc.
The Seashore Striders supplied Boyd and his support team with tech T-shirts for the event as sponsorship.
Betty Gooch Memorial Patio
This week at Shields Elementary School, we unveiled the Betty Gooch Memorial Patio, donated by the Seashore Striders to the Gooch family. The project honors Betty, who passed away from cancer two years ago. She was a beloved teacher in the Cape Henlopen School District and is now missed daily by the staff at Shields. Dave “Fredman” Frederick was asked to take the pictures, and just hours after he posted the photos on Facebook nearly 200 people had liked or made positive comments. Facebook is an amazing tool to get the word out. A custom plaque fashioned by Milton’s Mark Quillen lies in the center of the brick pavers. It reads “Betty Gooch - wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and teacher.”
Upcoming Races
Saturday, Sept. 6, Bottle & Cork 10-Miler, Dewey Beach.
Thursday, Sept. 11, Run, White & Blue, Delaware Tech, Georgetown.
Sunday, Sept. 14, Cannonball Run 5K, LHS, Lewes.
