Third Annual Haiti 5K Road/Trail Run a success

[March 29, 2018] 

LINCOLN

Let's take a walk down memory lane to the last really nice weather day here in Logan County. It was on Sunday, March 18, 2018. The sun was shining and several local runners and a bunch of fast walkers took full advantage of it by participating in the Run for Haiti at Kickapoo Creek Park. Again, the sun was shining and despite temperatures that just touched the 60 degree mark, it seemed so much warmer to the hard-core runners who were dressed in shorts and t-shirts for the 2 p.m. start time.

Lincoln Community High School teacher and soccer coach Tim Stuckey organized the event and as a runner himself, he admitted, "The trail is a lot different. I run year-round usually but it's almost all road and the trail is a lot more difficult. It is slower. I enjoy doing the trails, but it is so different."

Nonetheless, over 50 people gathered to run, walk, talk and raise funds for an upcoming trip to Haiti.

The proceeds from the event go to the Jefferson Street Christian Church Haiti trip. The trip will take place this summer from June 11 through June 22. While in Haiti, the group plans to do a medical clinic, eye clinic, Vacation Bible School and a Soccer Camp, according to Stuckey.

Dr. Steven Kotteman will do the medical clinic and Dr. Todd Nobbe will do the eye clinic.

"I started the soccer camp in 2015 and in 2016 we started giving the kids in Haiti a shirt and a ball like you get at a sports camp here," said Stuckey. "But we fund all that. They don't pay. And we also feed them because the first year I raised money for it, the soccer families here in town gave money so quickly that we raised more than we needed. When I told the missionary we work with, his response was, "Well if you get enough money, we will feed them."

Stuckey says now they get enough money to feed the campers every day.

"So we started doing that. After they are done with camp they walk over everyday and these ladies that we hire feed them rice and beans." Stuckey also talked about hiring local residents in Haiti to do laundry and cooking for the group of about 20 traveling from Lincoln.

Be sure to keep next year's event in mind. It just might be the nicest day in March again.

Top finishers of the 2018 Run for Haiti:

Jackson Johnson 22:50
Zach Switzer 23:32
Derek Hunter 23:53
Andrew Coop 25:07
Spencer Davis 25:15
Dave Stephenson 25:28
Todd Davis 26:53
Kelly McConoha 28:06
Dave Heater 28:11
Ethan Bivin 29:15

[Teena Lowery]