Nearly 1,500 women laced up their running shoes for a good cause on Oct. 13 in Vancouver.
The 13th annual Girlfriends Run for a Cure drew runners for half-marathon, 10K and 6K distances.
Along with many individual triumphs, event founder Sherri McMillan is delighted that the event has now raised more than $600,000 for breast cancer research.
McMillan organized the race after she was inspired by her friend Joleen Skarberg, who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.
On Oct. 13, as she has since the first race, Skarberg ran while wearing bib No. 1.
“Joleen is a testimony to the power of funds raised so there is better diagnosis and treatment for women undergoing Breast Cancer,” McMillan said. “Like Joleen, they can come back stronger than ever and live healthy, vibrant lives.”
The 2019 event also honored Jaime Wyatt Miller, who died due to breast cancer in 2018. She was the marketing director for WHY Racing Events, which puts on the Girlfriends Run for a Cure.
Jeannette Faber, 37, won the half marathon in 1 hour, 24 minutes, 26 seconds. Alexis Leone, 13, won the 10K in 39:49. Chantalle Schultz-Rathbun, 25, won the 6K in 21:16.
Isaiah Patterson, an eighth-grader at Woodland Middle School, will compete for the Oregon team at the Football University Northwest Region tournament next month in Tri-Cities. Teams there are vying for a chance to compete in the national championships in Naples, Fla.
Woodland went undefeated this season, with Patterson scoring 16 touchdowns.
Dennis Nielson, 84, reached the finals of the United States Tennis Association Grass Court Championship recently in Massachusetts.
The longtime Vancouver resident was the No. 5 seed in the 85-under division. Nielson won his first two matches in straight sets before winning by walkover in the semifinals. He lost to top seed King Van Nostrand in the finals, 7-5, 6-2.
