Wednesday, May 13, 2015
B1
THEY’RE OFF: 3K runners of
all ages start their race/walk.
Participants chose from the
kids’ race, walk, 3K, 5K and
10K.
T o n s o f t u t u s
Story and photos by
KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
News staff writer
“I get knocked
down/But I get up
again/No, you’re never
going to keep me down...”
The Chumbawumba
song lyrics that blasted
just before second annual
Lila May Tutu Trot
summed up the spirit of a
four-year-old who could
not wait to run with her
friends.
“One picture!” said Lila
May Schow, holding up
her finger, as friends gath-
ered for a group portrait
with the star of the day.
Moments later, she turned
and ran back to the start-
ing line where she joined
50 or so other youngsters
in the first part of the
benefit for Lila May, who
has been undergoing ar-
duous, expensive treat-
ments for neuroblastoma
since she was diagnosed a
month after her second
birthday.
One of those friends
was Jacy Johnston, 10,
who collected $1,244 for
Lila, largely by going door
to door, and presented it
before the race to Lila
May and her stepdad,
Blake Hall.
Then the running and
walking began, as more
than 600 people showed
up, almost all in tutus or
some version of taffeta,
on a warm, sunny morn-
ing at Mark O. Hatfield
Trailhead.
The event raised
$10,000, and counting, in-
cluding $600 gathered Sat-
urday in donation bins at
a dozen downtown busi-
nesses.
“It was such a success,
and we had such a great
time. It blows me away
that this little town can
support so much. People
really responded,” said
Jenny Lorenzen of Hood
River, a friend of Heidi
and Blake Hall.
Lorenzen, a pediatric
nurse, organized the
event, with help from
dozens of volunteers.
Those included Hood
River Lions, who handled
parking and traffic con-
trol at the trailhead as
well as at the event park-
ing lot at the Port of Hood
River.
Lorenzen said logistics
were greatly helped by the
shuttles, as well as on-line
registration and Friday
packet pickup at Shortt
Supply. (A t-shirt sale and
raffle continue for a week
at Shortt Supply, Second
and Oak streets.) Mount
Hood Meadows donated
use of a bus, and other
buses were rented from
First Student to handle
the turnout, about double
last year’s.
For the past year, Lila
May and her parents have
repeatedly travelled to
both Portland and New
LILA MAY MEDALLION
f o r L i l a M a y
Fun run raises over $10,000
BRIAN MEARS, with his daughter, Aurora,
with their dogs, Magic, left, and Sparkles.
JACY JOHNSTON presents the $1,244 she raised to Lila May and her stepdad, Blake
Hall. At center is organizer Jenny Lorenzen; photographer Brian Shortt and Jacy’s father,
Tad, look on at right.
FUND FACT:
You can still support the Lila May Fund
through Saturday at Shortt Supply,
Second and Oak, which hosts a t-shirt
sale and raffle, and donation jar.
York hospitals for medical
treatments. However, in
light of recent hurdles, she
is now participating in a
costly clinical trial in Michi-
gan. She travels to the Mid-
west every three weeks and
to Randall Children’s Hospi-
tal at Legacy Emmanuel in
Portland once a month.
“This is incredible. There
are no words to describe
how much we appreciate the
love that is shown here,”
Heidi said. “I mean, I love
her, I’m her Mom, but to see
so many people who don’t
know her and to know they
are expressing their love for
her, too, to show this kind of
support just shows what
kind of a wonderful commu-
nity we live in.”
Costume winners, chosen
by Lila May, were: Most Cre-
ative, Bryan Mears; Best
Male, Michael Clement; Best
Female, Nancy Clement;
Best Kid, Jacy Johnston.
Participants included:
community supporters Bon-
nie and Don Benton, Don in
a wheelchair but wearing a
tutu; Sophie Whitehead in a
UO color-themed tutu en-
semble; Jennifer Gulizia and
Bailey McManus, and their
months-old kids; Lila’s
grandmother, Mari Fuellen-
bach from South Joran,
Utah, and Brian Mears and
his daughter, Aurora, 11.
Mears is an avid runner
who, after last year’s Tutu
Run, started wearing a tutu
to every race he ran. People
would ask to have their pho-
tos taken with him and he
would agree if they made a
donation to the Lila May
fund.
“I’d just throw the money
into a duffel bag in my
truck, with the idea of giv-
ing to Lila May today,” said
Mears, who did not count it
before giving it to Lorenzen,
but estimated it was several
hundred dollars.
■
People came from all over
to support Lila May on
Saturday. Here are
selected things they had
to say about what
brought them there.
“I love to help people out
through my running, and
there are so many ways to
help other people with run-
ning. It’s so great to be able
to run and collect this
See LILA Page B6
RUNNER Brianna Cantrell, 10, exchanges high fives with Addison
Smiley, 2, at the end of the Lila May Tutu Run and Walk. With Bri-
anna were her sister, Chloe, 13, and their friend, Abigail Kellogg, 12.
Addison walked with her parents, Jason and Kim, and siblings Riley,
Ayden and Lilee, of Hood River.
COSTUME WINNERS Michael
Clements and his mother, Nancy.