Harford Community College will host the second annual Heather L. Hurd 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, November 20. On-site registration takes place in the College's Susquehanna Center from 7 to 7:45 a.m., with the race at 8 a.m. Radio personality Steve Rouse will serve as master of ceremonies.
The event honors the memory of Heather L. Hurd, a history major at Harford Community College from 1999 to 2003, who was killed in 2008 by a distracted driver who was texting.
With the walk/run taking place the day before the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (November 21), the gathering raises awareness of preventable highway fatalities and the tragedies they leave in their wake. The walk/run also acknowledges the work of first responders—fire, police and ambulance personnel.
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"Every year more than 35,000 of our loved ones are killed on our nation's highways. Families such as mine are thrust into a life of endless pain and longing for what could have been," said Russell Hurd, Heather's father. "The Heather L. Hurd 5K Walk/Run at Harford Community College is a way to increase our community'sawareness of how to prevent highway fatalities. It is our hope that all students who receive the Remembrance Book Scholarships will help change our culture and make our roadways safer for everyone."
Walkers or runners are asked to find 10 sponsors or pay an entrance fee of $20 per person. The fee is $10 for children under 18 accompanied by a registered adult. Each participant will receive a race T-shirt, and refreshments will be served after the race. Awards will be presented based on age group and final times. Participants may pre-register for the race by visiting www.harford.edu/heather.
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Proceeds from the event will benefit the Remembrance Book Scholarships at Harford Community College to assist students in financial need. Funds raised by the event will also be used to host programs on campus to make students more aware of traffic accidents, their consequences, and how to prevent them.
Sponsors of the walk/run are C&S Wholesale Grocers, Kollman & Saucier, P.A., WXCY-FM, B. Michael & Sons, Inc., SURVICE Engineering Company, Upper Chesapeake Health, T.W. Ellis, LLC, MADD, Maryland Highway Safety Foundation, Inc., McComas Funeral Home, Dick's Sporting Goods, Sunshine Designs and SR&B Advertising.
Last year, approximately 250 people participated in the walk/run, raising $13,000.
Harford Community College is located at 401 Thomas Run Road in Bel Air. For more information, visit www.harford.edu/heather or call 443-412-2449.
