Inaugural Run for Grace & Andy draws more than 350 participants

More than 350 runners and walkers competed in the inaugural Run for Grace & Andy on Hiram's Three-Mile Square on Saturday, September 29. From sponsorships and donations more than $6,000 was raised for the Grace & Andy Fund, which is administered by the Cleveland Foundation.

Proceeds will be used to fund the College's Andrew Hopkins Music Award and the Grace J. Chamberlain Prize in Creative Writing.

The overall women's and men's winners were Rosalie Franek of Hiram (22:04.25) and Tom Franek of Hiram (19:03.70). Because of computer problems experienced Hermes Sports and Events of Cleveland, which assisted in running the race, the awards were not distributed in each of 13 age categories for men and women. They will be mailed to the first- and second-place finishers. Complete results can be found at: http://www.hermescleveland.com/events/hiram.asp

Terrier Sound provided entertainment for the post-run gathering at which the families of Grace Chamberlain and Andy Hopkins applauded the support for this celebration of the lives of Grace and Andy, Hiram College first-year students who died in March 2006 after their vehicle was struck by a drunken driver with eleven previous DUI convictions.

"Yesterday would have been Andy's 20th birthday," the Rev. Ken Hopkins, Andy's father, told the crowd gathered at Henry field, "So this is his birthday party."

Bob Chamberlain, Grace's father, thanked participants, volunteers, and Run planners for making the event one that brought joy to the College and Village that his daughter loved.

Hiram also sponsors the Chamberlain-Hopkins Symposium on Alcohol and Culture, with the second symposium now being planned for the spring of 2008. The goal of the symposium is to raise community awareness concerning alcohol's influence in our culture and to prompt action that will address that influence.

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