On Saturday, nearly 500 people converged on Old Orchard Beach to take part in the ninth annual Cpt. Christopher Cash Memorial 5K, Walk and Fun Run.
The event, which is in memory of Old Orchard Beach’s Christopher Scott Cash, who died in action in 2004 during the early stages of the Iraq war, does more than just honor a fallen soldier: It honors the memories of all veterans of the United States’ foreign wars, as well as improves the futures of a few lucky northern York County high school graduates. For this, Bob and Nancy Kelley, Cash’s mother and stepfather, should be applauded for putting together and maintaining such a worthwhile event.
When Bob and Nancy Kelley first started the event in 2005, they raised enough money to give a scholarship to an Old Orchard Beach High School student who was college-bound. Now, they raise enough money to give three scholarships worth $1,000 apiece to students from Thornton Academy and Old Orchard Beach High School.
For those folks who take part in the race portion of the event, or simply wanted to walk the three-mile course, it was evident by their smiles and their generosity that they wanted to help out area students as well as recognize America’s armed forces.
Before the awards were given to the winners in the OOB High School gymnasium on Saturday, a bagpiper played a medley of songs that featured each branch’s theme song. As a branch’s song played, members in attendance of that armed service rose to be recognized.
In addition to the overall race winners and age category winners, the Kelleys also give prizes to the top three military finishers for men and the top three military finishers for women. To see these men and women recognized for their service through their own race category is a testament to the true spirit of the event, as it is a day of remembrance and honor.
The race also had a special visitor.
In April, the nation was shocked when several bombs went off at the Boston Marathon on Patriot’s Day, killing three people and severing the limbs of several other people. During that day, the world watched as a man wearing a cowboy hat began treating victims quickly and responding in the immediate aftermath of the bombings. Photos circulated of the mysterious man on news websites and daily newspapers, as well as on television broadcasts. The most famous and shocking photo showed the man in the cowboy hat pushing a victim in a wheelchair whose lower parts of his legs had been blown off.
The man in the cowboy hat’s name is Carlos Arredondo of Massachusetts. Most of us have heard the stories of Arredondo’s personal tragedy of how his 20-year-old son was killed while serving in Iraq in 2004. Arredondo, upon hearing the news, snapped, smashing the car of the informing officers, pouring gasoline on the car and himself, and then lighting it on fire. He sustained burns on 20 percent of his body before the Marines at his house extinguished the flames. From that point on, however, Arredondo chose to honor his son through giving back and volunteering while spreading the message of trying to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On Saturday, he was at the Run for Cash with his two small dogs. He walked around and thanked the participants for their support, hugged the former and current soldiers in attendance, and received special recognition from the Kelleys for his presence.
Arredondo and the Kelleys are just two victims who withstood horrific, personal tragedies, but together on Saturday they each demonstrated the human spirit’s ability to overcome tragic events and presevere while honoring those they loved.
That was the true spirit of Saturday’s event, and we feel it was captured perfectly.
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* An earlier version of this editorial was published with an error. This version reflects the correction(s). Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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