Local runners plan Highland Holiday All Nighter event
When six friends, who are tied together by a love for running, decided to organize a 24-hour relay to raise money for a few great causes, they weren’t sure how successful the event would be.
In December 2018, the Highland Holiday All Nighter runners logged a total of 164.51 miles in 24 hours. But even more incredible was the fact they exceeded their goal of raising $5,000, with 80% of those funds benefiting two women enduring cancer treatments and the remaining 20% donated to the Daley Discovery All-Abilities Playground.
The group planning the Highland Holiday All Nighter consisting of Ryan Dumstorff, Ryan Goodwin, Corey Knebel, Jason Shup, Jeff Weinacht, and Todd Zobrist, have raced together as a relay team through the Katy Trails of Missouri and the hills of Southern Illinois, in addition to bumping into each other during training runs and races for years.
They proved last year they could work together as a team to benefit the entire community all while doing what they love to do: Run.
“We knew the idea was crazy, but that’s what caught everyone’s attention,” said organizer Ryan Goodwin. “Running a relay for 24 hours straight, and in December? It was crazy. But when we realized how much money we were then able to donate to some important causes, we knew we would want to do it again.”
Event scheduled for Friday, Dec. 27
The Highland Holiday All Nighter will be a 24-hour run during which the six-member team completes the miles as a relay starting at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27. They are seeking pledges for every mile they log during that time span, and have set a goal to complete at least 150 miles.
As well as accepting pledges per mile, the group is also accepting flat donations. The money they raise will go to two local families as well as the second phase of the Daley Discovery All-Abilities Playground.
“We like to support local causes that are dear to our hearts and our families, and those thoughts are what will motivate us through the 24-hour relay,” Goodwin said.
Event supporting Henrietta who is battling a blood disorder
The first family they will be supporting has a young daughter named Henrietta who is battling a blood disorder called hypogammaglobulinanemia for which she receives ongoing treatments. Essentially, Henrietta does not have a functioning immune system. Besides the hardship of medical treatments, her family suffered a house fire in July and her father had to have a surgery causing him to be out of work for three-six months.
Henrietta can be followed on Facebook by checking out her page, “Henrietta’s Herd.” The second family who the team is raising money for is in support of a local man fighting cancer who wishes to remain anonymous.
In addition to the around-the-clock running, the group is hosting a 5K run at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, to offer anyone the opportunity to join their cause for a donation of $20; other runners are also welcome to make a donation and join any of the individuals on any of their legs of the relay.
Anyone who would like to organize their own six-person team to participate in the 24-hour relay can register their team for $400. Dennis Rinderer Park will serve as the base camp for the runners and will be the starting location for the 5K run.
Anyone interested in supporting the Highland Holiday All Nighter is welcome to drop donations off at Pulse Personal Training at 815 Broadway in Highland or with either of the following links: Holiday Run or Paypal. More information, such as a course map, schedule of relay runners, and the link to register for the 5K or to register a team to run all night can be found on their Facebook page.
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 2:03 PM.