On Sunday, August 18, Hunter J. Collin, age 11 and rising 6th grader at Hidden Valley Middle School, competed in the 5th annual Damon Runyon 5K at Yankee Stadium – a unique fundraising run/walk that uses the Stadium as its course. The run went through the Stadium concourses and ramps, up and down stairs between levels, and included two around the warning track that circles the field.
This run was special to Hunter, as he was honoring his grandfather, John Alba, owner of Information Products (Salem, VA) who passed away from cancer in April. August 18 would have been Mr. Alba’s 83rd birthday.
Of the over 2,500 runners/walkers, Hunter finished 4th in the 11-14 age group, and 171st overall, with a time of 27 minutes and 31 seconds. Hunter said the difficulty in this race was the total of 286 steps that had to be climbed at various times. The thrill of running onto the field at Yankee Stadium will be a lifelong memory.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (www.damonrunyon.org) funds innovative research by today’s most brilliant young scientists, who are racing to find the causes and cures for all types of cancer.
You can view a newscast with some clips of Hunter running the race here.
Submitted by Gary Collin