Oregon Republican Reporter, Mt. Morris Times
SECTION B
OUT AND ABOUT
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Hot weather fails to dampen the spirit of KB Tough Run Steamy weather failed to dampen the third annual KB Tough Run, held June 28 at White Pines Ranch. The event started with a new Kid Sprint followed by the Tough Run and Leisure Hike. Kids racing in their own age groups ran up and down a hill and could jump two straw bales en route to the finish line. Close to 3 p.m., participants in the three-mile tough run, raced over pastures and valleys with optional obstacles along the way. Andrew Larson was the first competitor to cross the finish line in 19 minutes, 59 seconds. Other activities included a bags tournament, fundraising games, and a beer garden. Ogle County’s Pork Producers were be on site grilling pork
chop sandwiches and hot dogs. The KB Tough Run Event is the major fundraiser for the KB Fund. The fund has been established to reach out and help those in the community that are burdened by a medical crisis. Donations can be sent directly to KB Fund, P.O. Box 374, Oregon, IL 61061. The KB Fund was started my members of the April Roos family. In February 2012, Roos was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. “I was 30 years old, a mom to an eight week old baby boy and I was hoping this cancer diagnosis was a bad dream. Well, unfortunately it wasn’t. My husband Josh and I put our faith in God for my healing and it was time for me to step up and KB,” Roos wrote at
www.KBtoughrun.com. KB was chosen thanks to Roos dad, Gary French also an Oregon resident who coined the phrase when he was coaching April’s softball team years before. “With our faith as an anchor, wrapped in our family’s unconditional love and the lifting support of our community I underwent an intense treatment plan at the UW Madison Hospital & Clinics,” Roos wrote on the website. After nearly a year of being cancer free Roos’ cancer returned in October of 2013. Treatment started shortly after finding the recurrence and includes 48 weeks of Sophia Stender, Oregon, at left, races Olivia Wynn, Chana, during one of the events for chemotherapy and a 28 kids at the KB Tough Run held June 28 at the White Pines Ranch. Photo by Earleen Hinton days of radiation. Visit www.Caringbridge. org/visit/aprilroos for additional information.
Running for those who serve While some KB Tough Run participants were gasping for air on the hot and humid afternoon, two local men donned gas masks and 35-pound rucksacks to show their support for servicemen and women. JD Heather, Oregon, and Mark Robinson, a Mt. Morris native who now lives in Rockford, ran the three-mile course carrying an American flag and yellow ribbon flags. “We try and pair up with other charities,” said Robinson who was wearing a Semper Fi Fund Team t-shirt. “We run for publicity.”
The back of the shirt read: “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. We will never forget their sacrifices.” According to the group’s website, Running for a Cause is a fundraising organization focused and dedicated on raising awareness and support to nonprofits that provide for wounded veterans, and/or the families. Robinson said the gas masks and rucksacks, weighing around 25-30
pounds, are used as a tribute those who serve. “We put bricks in the rucksacks we use which is nothing compared to what our soldiers carry,” he said. “For me, I felt that I owed it to them because they have made the ultimate sacrifice and their families have made the ultimate sacrifice and some of them have been through hell. “The emotion that goes with it is nuts,” Robinson said. For more information, visit runningforacause. net. JD Heather, Oregon, and Mark Robinson, Rockford, run in the 2014 KB Tough Run.
Crews, businesses busy dealing with storm damage From A1 early Tuesday morning from Champaign couldn’t unload because of the outage. At the White Pines Lodge, manager Beth Henderson was also throwing away spoiled food. “It’s a huge loss,” she said Tuesday afternoon. A storm Sunday evening left the restaurant and cabins without power until Monday afternoon. The lights came back on briefly Monday only to go out with that storm. “We had no power for breakfast or lunch Monday,” Henderson said. “We opened for supper and then at 8 last night the storm came through and took trees down all over the park. Trees were down at the entrance and people couldn’t get in or out.” Still without power Tuesday afternoon, Henderson said she had just got a generator
that would supply water to not only the restaurant, but also her overnight guests in the cabins. “We have guests who are sticking it out without lights,” she said. “We have water at least.” Editor’s Note: Electrical power came back to our office, located at 121A S. Fourth Street, at 9:48 a.m. Tuesday, but the office was without Internet service the rest of the day, forcing two staff members to travel to the Sauk Valley Media office in Sterling to finish designing pages. As I was writing finishing this story at 4:50 p.m. and getting ready to depart for Sterling myself, our electricity again went out. I reported the outage to Commonwealth Edison and a recording said “the estimated restoration Oregon City Street Superintendent Mike Bowers cuts a limb from a fallen tree as city workers Gary Greenwood and Kurt Alexander help Tuesday afternoon. City crews were busy clearing fallen trees following Monday night’s storm. Photo by Earleen Hinton time is July 3, at 11 p.m.”.
Jordan Lathrop restocks deli case at the Oregon SuperValu Tuesday afternoon. A Commonwealth Edison worker uses a small chain saw to cut a branch from a power Monday night’s storm left most of Oregon, including many businesses, without electrical power for several hours. Photo by Earleen Hinton line Tuesday morning in the 400 block of N. Sixth Street. Photo by Earleen Hinton