Runners brave crazy weather for a cause
Karen Peterson photo
Bob Hayes, 87, finished the 10K with a 12-minute mile pace.
Karen Peterson photo
Jan Pavlock finished the one-mile run in third place.
Karen Peterson photo
Aaron Naugle, 2, gets a medal for finishing the one-mile race.
Karen Peterson photo
Rain and cold weather made it a bit miserable for some of the participants.
Karen Peterson photo
The race's namesake flower graces the back of the 2014 Buttercup Run t-shirt.
Karen Peterson photo
Aleacia Landon started the race dry. The rain moved in within minutes and she was soaked before crossing the finish line.
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Cold rain didn’t stop Bob Hayes, 87, from running a 10K in this year’s Buttercup Run to help raise money for Arlee students.
“I’m so darned old. If I stop running, I’ll fall over,” he said.
He competed in the first race to raise funds for the school more than two dozen years ago, although it had another name back then, and he’s made it to the starting line of almost every race since.
“Not every year, but pert’ near,” he said.
The Friends of Arlee School collect entry fees to be dispersed as scholarships to Arlee High School seniors and mini-grants to teachers for supplies. The organization has awarded $130,000 to teachers and students in the past 13 years.
“We give money to teachers for things that enhance learning,” said Merrill Bradshaw, Friends of Arlee School board member. “And we don’t deny scholarship applications.”
Participants didn’t have to wait long for race results with the new timing system.
“This is the first year we’ve used Competitive Timing,” said Tony Hoyt, Friends of Arlee School board member. “It’s a company that comes in and keeps track of everyone’s time. In the past, we’ve put all the names up on a board. It was an unbelievable hassle. We had little disputes about times. Now, it’s computerized, so no more disputes.”
The rain poured down during the race, soaking Dixon track coach Aleacia Landon. After crossing the finish line, she headed for one of the two vans her team arrived in to warm up and wait for the rest of the team.
“I don’t recall it being rainy before, but it’s springtime,” she said of the six years she’s brought her team. “It’s for a good cause.”
Cory Clark ran the race with an umbrella.
“I could see the rain coming,” he said.
Race results can be found at
www.buttercuprun.org
