Our story…
I feel compelled to explain myself. Not to you, moreso that I can understand this compulsion and maybe explain it to my wife. I have found myself running often since Ruthie died. I’d wager most reading this are runners, and statistically some have been devastated as we have. I’ve found a place when running, maybe triggered by a butterfly that flitters beside me for a time as I run, or when the rain is soft and there is no lightning and all you hear is the rain in the tree canopy, that the grief and tears flow and there is no discomfort as I quicken my pace. It has assisted me with the processing of this ache of loss, and connected it to the source of my grief: my love for Ruthie. I’ve come to realize that this exquisite grief demands action. And faith. There must be some goodness that exists because of the intensity of the sorrow. There must exist its counterpart. I’m happy to discuss how this is so with regards to my faith, but this is about action. I suspect The Forrest Spence Fund was created experiencing similar complexity of emotion from parents experiencing loss. They have helped many with the overlooked complexities of health care and social determinants of health. Gas money to get to and from the hospital, utility bills, medical bills… the list goes on. In Ruthie’s memory, I would like to help them do more of the same. Feel free to join team Running4Ruthie at the following link: http://raceroster.com/events/2025/105629/forrest-spence-5k/register?team=838980
And to donate to the team fundraising at this link: http://raceroster.com/events/2025/105629/forrest-spence-5k/pledge/team/838980
Achievements
Team members
Click on one of our team members below to make a donation.
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Running4Ruthie Team
Raised: $2,513.81
Team captain
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James Tiemann
Raised: $108.20
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Amanda Gillion
Raised: $54.10
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Bill Wilkey
Raised: $54.10
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Jennifer Good
Raised: $54.10
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Joe Krushinski
Raised: $54.10
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Austin Spence
Raised: $0.00
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Blair Longserre
Raised: $0.00
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Colton Cockrum
Raised: $0.00
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Elizabeth Laurence
Raised: $0.00
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Eric Wilkey
Raised: $0.00
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Garner McCullar
Raised: $0.00
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Heidi Wilkey
Raised: $0.00
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Kate Weller
Raised: $0.00
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Kim Jones
Raised: $0.00
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Kyle Tiemann
Raised: $0.00
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Madelaine Laurence
Raised: $0.00
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Maggie Spence
Raised: $0.00
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Mary Nease
Raised: $0.00
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Megan Wilkey
Raised: $0.00
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Miller Spence
Raised: $0.00
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Suzanne Warford
Raised: $0.00
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Warren Wilkey
Raised: $0.00
Recent donors
Donation date | Donor name | Donation amount |
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Jul 28 | Bryan Baddorf | $107.35 |
Jul 23 | Clare Brown | Undisclosed amount |
Jul 22 | Maymay and Papa | $54.10 |
Jul 22 | Alice Tiemann | $54.10 |
Jul 22 | Wes and Marcy Mayes | $267.10 |
Jul 22 | Susan & Mickey Thompson | $533.35 |
Jul 21 | Kyle & Amy Runner | Undisclosed amount |
Jul 21 | David Coombs | $533.35 |
Jul 20 | Michael Flanagan | $27.48 |
Jul 20 | Chris and Jordan Ohlsson | $107.35 |