Nikole and I got to the Carillon just in time for the first race in what we hope will be an annual fundraising event. Ruby's Run (or the Ruby Harvey Memorial Children's Run) remembers Ruby Harvey, her sister Stella and her parents, Bryan and Kathryn; the family was murdered this past New Year's Day at their home in Richmond.
More than 160 children showed up in the early morning chill to run and to remember (including our young friend Felix Gotschalk, above), according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Sunny Matheson, who directed yesterday's event, was a friend of Kathryn Harvey. Matheson said she felt powerless after the murders and wanted to do something that would empower children.
"What we wanted to do was have kids not just come out and play, but have them understand how you change things," Matheson said. "When something bad happens in the community, what can you do to make things better? One thing you can do is help somebody else."
The goal of yesterday's run was to raise enough pledge money to send one child to Second Presbyterian Child Care Center for a year. Annual tuition is about $6,000.
"There are children there now whose parents are not going to be able to keep them through the rest of the year if they don't get some help," Matheson said.
The event also included a soccer clinic and an area where children could play dress-up, Ruby's favorite game.
