2008 Woodie Awards
Fourth annual Pat's Run celebrates fallen soldier
Kimberly Gunning
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Sports
Last year nearly 13,000 people participated in the third annual Pat's Run. This April even more are expected to celebrate the life of Pat Tillman and to better their own.
The fourth annual Pat's Run will be held around the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, April 19.
It is a 4.2-mile run/walk which will end at the 42-yard line on the Sun Devil's Stadium football field. The concept of using Tillman's ASU football jersey number as the race distance and finish line was inspired by Tillman's friend, Perry Edinger.
Returning runner, Kenda Johnson, says "It is a neat connection rather than just running a 5K. This way it really ties in."
After Tillman's death in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004, the idea for Pat's Run was formed.
Edinger, Pat's Run race director, said, "A group of family and friends were trying to find a way to allow people to celebrate Pat's life in a respectful way and reflect certain things about him- getting out and being active and accomplishing things that he put his mind to."
Tillman, originally from San Jose, California, played four years of football for ASU. He went on to play for the Arizona Cardinals and in 2002 walked away from a 3.6 million, three-year contract to join the United States Army. He made the decision to serve following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Tillman is the first NFL player to be killed in the armed services since Buffalo Bills player, Bob Kalsu, in the Vietnam War in 1970.
Pat's Run benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation, founded by family and friends in 2004.
"The Pat Tillman Foundation supports its flagship program, Leadership Through Action, at ASU where Tillman was an outstanding scholar-athlete. The focus of the program is to give carefully selected business and honors students, known as Tillman Scholars, the leadership skills, tools and funds they need to tackle real-world problems," said Edinger.
"I can identify with that. I went through college all on scholarships," said Garrett Snook. This will be Snook's second year running Pat's Run.
The fourth annual Pat's Run will be held around the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, April 19.
It is a 4.2-mile run/walk which will end at the 42-yard line on the Sun Devil's Stadium football field. The concept of using Tillman's ASU football jersey number as the race distance and finish line was inspired by Tillman's friend, Perry Edinger.
Returning runner, Kenda Johnson, says "It is a neat connection rather than just running a 5K. This way it really ties in."
After Tillman's death in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004, the idea for Pat's Run was formed.
Edinger, Pat's Run race director, said, "A group of family and friends were trying to find a way to allow people to celebrate Pat's life in a respectful way and reflect certain things about him- getting out and being active and accomplishing things that he put his mind to."
Tillman, originally from San Jose, California, played four years of football for ASU. He went on to play for the Arizona Cardinals and in 2002 walked away from a 3.6 million, three-year contract to join the United States Army. He made the decision to serve following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Tillman is the first NFL player to be killed in the armed services since Buffalo Bills player, Bob Kalsu, in the Vietnam War in 1970.
Pat's Run benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation, founded by family and friends in 2004.
"The Pat Tillman Foundation supports its flagship program, Leadership Through Action, at ASU where Tillman was an outstanding scholar-athlete. The focus of the program is to give carefully selected business and honors students, known as Tillman Scholars, the leadership skills, tools and funds they need to tackle real-world problems," said Edinger.
"I can identify with that. I went through college all on scholarships," said Garrett Snook. This will be Snook's second year running Pat's Run.
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