Heather L. Hurd 5K at Harford Community College

Connor Hires

On Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015, the seventh annual Heather L. Hurd 5K Run and Trick or Treat Walk was held at Harford Community College.

The 5K honors former Harford Community College history major Heather Hurd, who was killed by a texting driver in 2008. The run was created in 2009 by the Hurd family and HCC in order to raise funds for the Harford Community College Remembrance Book Scholarship Fund, while raising awareness of the consequences of distracted driving. Over $100,000 dollars has been raised for Remembrance Book Scholarships over the six years the race has been held.

This year, the 5K featured a dedicated children’s area with face painting, crafts, and the chance to take pictures with Anna, Elsa, and Olaf from the Disney film, Frozen. The American Red Cross was also present to collect blood for those who wanted to contribute to a good cause without running the 5K.

When asked why he and his wife wanted to create the event, Mr. Hurd said, “When Heather was killed, we wanted to give back to the college since she enjoyed her time here so much. Everybody has a Heather in their life whether that be a sibling, mother, or aunt. If we can reach just one person and prevent something like this from happening again, then we believe that is a huge success.”

Registration for the race began at 8:00 a.m. at the Susquehanna Auxiliary Gym and the race began at 9:00 a.m. Each participant received a t-shirt, a gift, and complimentary refreshments. The event was primarily sponsored by the Kent Schwab Allstate agency as well as AAA Mid-Atlantic, Blue Dot Services of Maryland, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, and several other sponsors.

If you would like to donate to ensure the continuation of the 5K you can do so by visiting www.harfordedu/heather and clicking the “donate now” tab. Remember Bobcats, your text is not worth another person’s life.