The Anderson South Carolina Leukemia Society

By Lauren Dean

It was not an ideal day for a race. Heavy rains the night before had scattered huge puddles along the race route, some of which stretched from each side almost to the center lane of the street.

The sun came out just at the last moment. From my vantage point on E. Arctic Avenue, I experienced the same thrill I get each year as the first flood of runners surged past me. I saw the group of teen-agers from Anderson in their long-sleeved yellow shirts – pony tails flopping, smiles as wide as their faces – glide by in tight formation. A man running behind a baby stroller waved as he went by.

I saw many of these same faces go by my house later in the day as they finished the last leg of the race. Some were still running, many were walking, and the last, courageous, sweat-soaked stragglers simply willed themselves toward the finish line. What dedication! One woman flew in from Wisconsin just for the race and finished third in the “female best overall” category! I’ll bet she was running for more than the exercise.

People care about saving the Morris Island Lighthouse. What’s gone, is gone forever, and without the monumental and prolonged efforts by many people who have worked long and hard to raise money and awareness, she would likely have slipped into the sea by now.

Pat Stormer, a Save the Light volunteer who helped coordinate the race, was pleased to report that there were 789 runners in the Save the Light Half-Marathon & 5-K this year and that more than $7,700 was raised to help in the stabilization of the lighthouse.

Winners were: Half-Marathon first, Ryan Robinson, Anderson, SC; second, Kent Wilson, Candler, NC; third, David Quick, Mt. Pleasant, SC. 5-K first, Chris Hicks, Florence, SC; second, Tyler Cross, James Island, SC; third, Anne Wyman Cipolla, Charleston, SC. Men’s Over-all first, Ryan Robinson, Anderson, SC; second, Kent Wilson, Candler, NC; third, David Quick, Mt. Pleasant, SC. Women’s Over-all first, Anne Clinton, Charleston, SC; second, Arden Stelly; third, Elizabeth Holland, Neewah, WI.

Event coordinator Doug Oswald said more people signed up to participate in the race this year than in any previous year. In the past there have been more 5-K runners, he said, but this year more runners opted for the half-marathon.

“Not only does the Run benefit the preservation of the Morris Island Lighthouse, it brings a lot of people to Folly Beach at a slow time of year,” Oswald said. “Eight hundred hungry, thirsty runners and their friends and families can make quite an impact on the local economy.”

Sponsors of the event include Piggly Wiggly, Holiday Inn, Avocet Realty, Bagel Cafe (formerly Bagel Nation), Rita’s, Charleston County Parks, Recreation & Tourism Commission, Ohlandt Veterinary Clinic, and C.R. Hipp.

The National Society of the Children of the American Revolution chose Save the Light as their 2010 Charity of the Year, and hard-working volunteers Emily Falkenstein and her grandparents drove through heavy snow all the way from Washington, D.C. to help with registration, according to Oswald. Other volunteers came from The Citadel Engineering Department, the College of Charleston, MUSC, Porter-Gaud School and, of course, Save the Light.

“It was inspiring to see so many young people getting up early on a Saturday morning to help with a community project,” Oswald said, adding that it would have been impossible to stage such an event without the backing and assistance of Mayor Beckmann, City Council, and Chief Terry Boatwright and the Public Safety Officers.

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The 8th annual Save the Light run consists to two routes: the 5K (3.1 miles) and the Half-Marathon (13.1 miles). The 5K is essentially the first loop of the Half-Marathon. When runners get to Arctic from 3rd street, the 5Kers turn right to the finish line and the Halfers turn left to go on to the rest of the course.

Participants can register online at www.actioncarolina.com, or from 7am – 8am on the morning of the event at the start/finish line near the Folly Beach Pier. Both races begin at 8:30am.

“We may have a record turnout this year,” says Michael Derosiers of ActionCarolina.com. “We’re already approaching 500 runners for both events. This is the 8th time we have done this event and I think in that period we have donated well over $20,000 to Save the Light, Inc.”

Due to the high expected turnout, runners and walkers who are familiar with Folly Beach are asked not to park near the pier or Holiday Inn area and leave the closer spots for people traveling from out-of-town.

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