Hey, I Know You 5k and Fun Walk
Written by Jill // February 26, 2010 // At the Races // 3 Comments // 1,595 views
Folks, here is a race which strikes close to the heart and it’s all because of a kid with a huge heart.
Ben Yorgey was born normal but at eight months old he began having seizures which delayed his development. Considered developmentally delayed until the age of six when the diagnosis became that of mental retardation he spent his school years in an Intermediary Unit Life Skills class and graduated from East Penn at 21 years old.
In 2009, Ben passed away from a brain injury suffered during a seizure. But you see, Ben left behind an incredible legacy. He had this incredible gift of love. He changed lives because of it. Ben’s wish would be for each of us to live every moment of every day with the same joy and enthusiasm that he did.
The Ben Yorgey Foundation was created to honor the legacy of Ben Yorgey and generate funds for graduating high school students with special needs across the Lehigh Valley. 2010 marks the inaugural Ben Event as the foundation is calling their fundraising effort which will include a variety of activities over the course of a month from July to August.
For all of you runners out there reading this, a 5k will be one of those events. Aptly named for one of Ben’s favorite sayings, “Hey, I know you”, this 5k promises to be fast and will take start at Macungie Memorial Park. The date for the event is Saturday, July 17th and the race will begin at 8:30 am.
Please check out the Ben Yorgey Foundation website to learn more about Ben’s story, the Foundation itself, scholarships available and other Ben Event activities. The website is located at http://www.heyiknowyou.org/.
I’ve been told the race applications will be available soon on both active.com and Pretzel City Sports website. As soon as those applications are up I will pass the word on to you.
3 Comments on "Hey, I Know You 5k and Fun Walk"
Jill,
I want to thank you (belatedly) so much for taking the time to write about our first annual Hey I Know You 5K. Those of us involved organizing the race, along with many others working to help the Ben Yorgey Foundation fulfill its mission through other fundraising efforts, are very grateful for your help in getting the word out to runners in the valley.
I’d like to make your readers aware that our application is now available for download at either Pretzel City Sports http://www.pretzelcitysports.com/5ks.html , or on our own site http://www.heyiknowyou.org/storage/5k%203%20column%20application.pdf. If you prefer online registration, you can now do that at active.com . Thanks again!
Dear Jill,
As Ben’s Mom I too want to say a big thank you for the article you wrote and posted on your website about Ben and what we are doing in memory of him!! We are looking forward to The Ben Event on July 16 and 17, 2010 and are very excited to about the “Hey I Know You” 5K. Thanks again for helping us spread the word!
I know that there are several 5k’s in the valley this Saturday morning worthy of your consideration. If the mission of the Ben Yorgey Foundation is one that you would like to support, you are still welcome to register race morning beginning at 7:00 am in Macungie Memorial Park.
In addition to 1st place awards we will have age group awards,followed by a raffle with excellent prizes. Of course plenty of refreshments will be available post race, plus music with a dj will be a part of the experience throughout the morning.