SJ5K

 Each year, for the past 5 years, there is a race called the SJ5K. This what it is:

"The SJ5K Foundation was founded to serve the SJ5K Club at the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park. The SJ5K Foundation is a volunteer board whose mission is to promote youth leadership and to aid families in crisis through the efforts of the SJ5K race each year."

They choose 5 families who have a loved one going through health challenges. It is named after a student from the first year they held the race.

"In December of 2010, then-Canton sophomore Jesse Lindlbauer (known as Super Jess) suffered a near-fatal brain injury.  Despite no previous symptoms, Jesse fought brain trauma, meningitis, and other complications brought on by what believed to be a mild sinus infection. Jesse spent eleven weeks at C.S. Mott Hospital, surviving two emergency brain surgeries, and then began his long road to recovery."

Every year the race is on a Sunday, making it hard to participate in the actual run, though we usually donated money to the cause. Last year it was virtual and the participants got to run, bike, or walk their 5k anytime during the week of the event. We participated in that last year and some of us did this year as well. The nice thing about it being virtual is that people can choose to ride their bike instead of run if they want. That's what Erik and Karissa chose to do. I did the run.

Karissa's choir and Autin's choir each sang a song in honor of the recipients, though I don't know if they posted the songs somewhere, or if they recorded them for us to hear another time. I need to look into that. If anything, I'm sure we'll hear the songs at the choir concerts.

This year's event had a little more meaning since one of the girls who was recently diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's Lymphoma cancer in her chest, neck, and armpit is the girlfriend of a boy in our ward. This boy, Spencer's mom had brain surgery in the fall to remove a tumor and has been recovering since then. Not only that, but her sister-in-law had liver cancer and went in for treatments around the same time Jennifer had her brain surgery. We just found out that Jamie is now cancer-free! Jennifer's sister, Anna, at pretty much the same time, also had a brain tumor and had it removed about two weeks Jennifer had hers removed. Needless to say, this family has gone through a lot this year! Luckily, we have only heard good news recently and all are on the mend.

We were so happy we could support the students who were sponsored for the SJ5K!

Erik ran a practice 1 miler with me and decided that he didn't want to run the 5k, but bike it!

Karissa chose to bike it too. It is all good!