Our story…
I feel compelled to explain myself. Not to you, moreso that I can understand this compulsion and maybe explain it to my wife. I have found myself running often since Ruthie died. I’d wager most reading this are runners, and statistically some have been devastated as we have. I’ve found a place when running, maybe triggered by a butterfly that flitters beside me for a time as I run, or when the rain is soft and there is no lightning and all you hear is the rain in the tree canopy, that the grief and tears flow and there is no discomfort as I quicken my pace. It has assisted me with the processing of this ache of loss, and connected it to the source of my grief: my love for Ruthie. I’ve come to realize that this exquisite grief demands action. And faith. There must be some goodness that exists because of the intensity of the sorrow. There must exist its counterpart. I’m happy to discuss how this is so with regards to my faith, but this is about action. I suspect The Forrest Spence Fund was created experiencing similar complexity of emotion from parents experiencing loss. They have helped many with the overlooked complexities of health care and social determinants of health. Gas money to get to and from the hospital, utility bills, medical bills… the list goes on. In Ruthie’s memory, I would like to help them do more of the same. Feel free to join team Running4Ruthie at the following link: http://raceroster.com/events/2025/105629/forrest-spence-5k/register?team=838980
And to donate to the team fundraising at this link: http://raceroster.com/events/2025/105629/forrest-spence-5k/pledge/team/838980
Buy your team merch here. I’ll match a $20 donation for every shirt purchased up to $1000.
Achievements
Team members
Click on one of our team members below to make a donation.
-
Louis Gamble III
Raised: $8,858.98
Team captain
-
Eric Gamble
Raised: $1,057.54
-
Liza Gamble
Raised: $381.58
-
Cynthia Cross
Raised: $267.10
-
James Tiemann
Raised: $135.68
-
Suzanne Warford
Raised: $107.35
-
Thom Weller
Raised: $107.35
-
Katherine Meche
Raised: $80.73
-
Amanda Gillion
Raised: $54.10
-
Amy Claire Hogan
Raised: $54.10
-
Bill Wilkey
Raised: $54.10
-
Garner McCullar
Raised: $54.10
-
Jennifer Good
Raised: $54.10
-
Joe Krushinski
Raised: $54.10
-
Kim Jones
Raised: $54.10
-
Madelaine Laurence
Raised: $54.10
-
Wes Kaminer
Raised: $54.10
-
Austin Dalgo
Raised: $27.48
-
Blair Longserre
Raised: $27.48
-
Elizabeth Laurence
Raised: $27.48
-
Ellen Lyle
Raised: $27.48
-
Lauren Balmut
Raised: $27.48
-
Megan Dalgo
Raised: $27.48
-
Amanda Houseal
Raised: $0.00
-
Amy Coombs
Raised: $0.00
-
Andrew Laurence
Raised: $0.00
-
Austin Coombs
Raised: $0.00
-
Austin Spence
Raised: $0.00
-
Brian Waldron
Raised: $0.00
-
Coleman Cockrum
Raised: $0.00
-
Colton Cockrum
Raised: $0.00
-
Eric Wilkey
Raised: $0.00
-
Gracie Rainey
Raised: $0.00
-
Heidi Wilkey
Raised: $0.00
-
Jackson Coombs
Raised: $0.00
-
Jacob Laurence
Raised: $0.00
-
Jared Hogan
Raised: $0.00
-
Kate Weller
Raised: $0.00
-
Katie Rainey
Raised: $0.00
-
Kyle Tiemann
Raised: $0.00
-
Lauren Macyauski
Raised: $0.00
-
Lillian Warford
Raised: $0.00
-
Liza Weller
Raised: $0.00
-
Lou Gamble
Raised: $0.00
-
Lynn Weller
Raised: $0.00
-
Maeve Houseal
Raised: $0.00
-
Maggie Spence
Raised: $0.00
-
Mary Gamble
Raised: $0.00
-
Mary Nease
Raised: $0.00
-
Max Girdner
Raised: $0.00
-
McCall Houseal
Raised: $0.00
-
Megan Wilkey
Raised: $0.00
-
Miller Spence
Raised: $0.00
-
Olivia Warford
Raised: $0.00
-
Philip Bennett
Raised: $0.00
-
Rebecca Howles
Raised: $0.00
-
Rebekah Page
Raised: $0.00
-
Sarah Girdner
Raised: $0.00
-
Stephanie Kaminer
Raised: $0.00
-
Stephen Coombs
Raised: $0.00
-
Tim Rainey
Raised: $0.00
-
Trevor Houseal
Raised: $0.00
-
Warren Wilkey
Raised: $0.00
-
William Balmut
Raised: $0.00
Recent donors
| Donation date | Donor name | Donation amount |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 27 | Anonymous | $27.48 |
| Aug 23 | Anonymous | Undisclosed amount |
| Aug 23 | Halley and Ford Williams | Undisclosed amount |
| Aug 23 | Laurie and J.L. Stiles | Undisclosed amount |
| Aug 22 | Carmen | Undisclosed amount |
| Aug 22 | Malone Family | Undisclosed amount |
| Aug 22 | Josh M | Undisclosed amount |
| Aug 22 | Sara Robertson | $54.10 |
| Aug 22 | Feb and Stacey Boswell | Undisclosed amount |
| Aug 22 | Warford family | Undisclosed amount |
