PEA RIDGE — More than 110 runners lined up across Weston Street in drizzling rain Saturday morning, bent over slightly in preparation and then dashed forward for the fourth annual 5K D.A.S.H. to Remember race.
The biggest race yet with 112 registered runners, the 2012 race was the first run in the rain, according to Chris Mondy, one of the originators of the event.
Chris and Andrea Mondy, along with the daughter Ashtyn, 14, were there, working, cheering and encouraging runners. Ashtyn ran with friends.
The acronym D.A.S.H.
stands for Doing Anything Supportive Helps, but also refers to the dash between the birth and death dates.
“At Ryan’s funeral ... the space between the birth and death date ... it was noted how much he had done to help raise money at different charity events,” Mondy said, reflecting on the short life of his and Andrea Mondy’s only son.
Ryan Mondy was born Aug. 6, 2000, and died of cancer March 23, 2008.
Hardy first Pea Ridge runner
Nick Hardy, 15, a sophomore at Pea Ridge High School came in second, but was the first Pea Ridge runner to cross the finish line.
The son of Rachal and Tim Hardy, Nick has been in Pea Ridge for two years after moving here from Bentonville. He competes in basketball, baseball and cross country, but only began running two years ago when “made” to by coach John King, his baseball coach.
“Coach King made me run for baseball. I liked it and kept running,” Hardy said.
“I like to run competitively,” Hardy said, adding that he is continually trying to improve his time.
“There’s always a point when you could easily quit,” he admitted, but said he continues to push himself.
“I just tell myself ‘No, I want to go on.’
“You have to want to finish in your head,” he said.
History of D.A.S.H.
Chris and Andrea Mondy’s 6-year-old son, Ryan, was being treated for a sinus infection in November 2006, when a mass was discovered in his brain. For the next year and a half and with many visits and treatments at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Ryan’s cancer was aggressively combated. Ultimately, he died on March 23, 2008.
The proceeds of the race benefit the Ryan Mondy D.A.S.H. Memorial Scholarship endowment, a special scholarship through the Arkansas Community Foundation in Little Rock designed to assist graduating seniors whose lives have been affected by cancer. The scholarship is designed to benefit a cancer patient, survivor or siblings of cancer patients or survivors.
Sports, Pages 12 on 09/19/2012