By HOLLY WAGNER
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Under overcast skies, with the type of humidity that'll make you sweat standing still, a half-dozen runners took off from the County Market parking lot at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The six represent a tenth of the runners and volunteers who are making the 130-mile trek as part of the Quincy to Peoria run to benefit St. Jude Hospital.
"It's helping achieve (St. Jude founder) Danny Thomas's goal that no child should die in the dawn of life," said run coordinator Rick Meehan. "When you meet families that have been impacted by St. Jude's, there's no better cause."
Brian Blakley was among the runners on the first leg. Blakley's son, Brody, went to St. Jude's for liver cancer in 1992. St. Jude also treated his younger son, Dalton, who lost his battle to cancer last year.
Despite Dalton's death, Blakley feels that St. Jude saved his children's lives; it made Dalton's last days as pleasant as possible.
"It's great to see everybody come together for a cause like this," he said. "I hope to run as much as I can."
The Quincy run is one of 18 that will end this afternoon in Peoria where the Midwest affiliate is located. The runners will enter the Peoria Civic Center together and present their checks during a telethon.
The Quincy group's donation will include the proceeds from efforts by groups like the YMCA's day camp that brought $50 to the runners Friday. Four-year St. Jude runner Jenny Craven is a regular volunteer at the Y and the group chose to benefit St. Jude with a car wash as a way to thank her.
The St. Jude run is a perfect fit for Craven who has been a runner for the past eight years.
"I do it for the kids because I'm able to run and they're not," she said. "Doing my part to help St. Jude's find a cure is a great feeling."
Craven felt confident the runners would be fine despite the heat and high humidity. A sag wagon follows the runners and five motor homes provide places to lie down. The runners took part in training that included information on nutrition and proper hydration.
The Quincy run is in its fourth year, having grown from raising about $12,000 to more than $60,000 this year. Each participant raises at least $500.
This year, the group aimed at a goal of $62,000 to mark the founding of St. Jude Hospital in 1962.
"I'm sure we'll make that," Meehan said. Runners were still collecting pledges and donations were still being accepted.
St. Jude Hospital is funded entirely with donations. The world-renowned research center shares its research with hospitals around the world. Families of its patients pay nothing for their hospital care beyond insurance, and the hospital pays for families' food, travel and lodging.
"The research they do at St. Jude's is very, very important and the families don't pay anything," Meehan said. "I've been blessed with two healthy kids ... I hope I don't have to use St. Jude's. If I did, I know it's there."
To donate, make checks payable to St. Jude's Children's Reseach Hospital and send to Bank of Quincy, 1132 Broadway, Quincy, IL 62301
-- hwagner@whig.com/221-3374
