ST. GEORGE – On Tuesday at 10 p.m., when most people were settling down for the evening, hundreds of dedicated runners and walkers lined the street of the St. James neighborhood to participate in the seventh annual Chelsi’s Run 5K – a race to honor the life of Chelsi Dawn Petersen, a St. George resident and runner who was killed in a car accident in 2008.
The run was established by friends of the Petersens who wanted to do something to help the family heal Chelsi Petersen’s mom, Lisa Petersen, said.
The 5K race is held every year on Chelsi Petersen’s birthday and not only honors her memory but also raises funds to provide scholarships to local students.
Chelsi Petersen was a heptathlete on the BYU track team and loved to run – This year’s race would have marked her 27th birthday.
The two-loop course started and ended at the St. James Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and though it was hot and sticky it didn’t deter the crowd of participants or the neighborhood from coming out to show their love and support.
“Chelsi is smiling tonight,” Lisa Petersen, said.
Participants received a t-shirt and a memorial wrist band that said “Never Give Up,” on one side and Chelsi’s name flanked by her birth year and the year she passed away on the other.
Loud music blared from many corners of the course, glow sticks adorned runners and the neighbors handed out otter pops in this special community event.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Resources
- For more information about Chelsi’s Run and the scholarship fund click here
Related posts
- Remembering Chelsi: Memorial run raises funds, honors accident victim
- Together for Taleah; princess run supports 5-year-old fighting cancer
- What do a soapbox, narcolepsy have in common? Cedar City Soap Box Challenge; STGnews Photo Gallery
- Relay for Life returns to St. George, 25 years of reflection and optimism – 2013
- Chelsi’s Run, a purposed memorial that engages, delivers; STGnews Photo Gallery – 2013
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.