Keeping the Spirit of the Strawberry Shortcut alive in spite of COVID-19


Josh Chavez running the 
Strawberry Shortcut in 2017


Running Down Memory Lane with The Strawberry Shortcut

By Annie Uyehara


There is no shortcut when it comes to the impact COVID-19 has had on our nation and the
annual Strawberry Shortcut race is no exception.

This summer would have been the race’s 43rd year of running the 10K, 5K, and the one mile
Family Fun Run, with proceeds going to the Special Olympics.

Although it’s been canceled (or postponed, more on that later) along with Strawberry Days, on
which day the race is run, it’s good to remember what the Shortcut has done for community
members with disabilities and for the Special Olympics.

Mike Kishimoto, Glenwood’s high school track coach, who took the reins as race director last
year, is currently trying to find a way to make it happen this year “in a lowkey manner.” Until
then, we’ll go back a few years, back to 1978 when some 200 racers ran the first Strawberry
Shortcut. It was a fun, local race that everyone either ran in or watched. Through the years, it got
larger and became an official race and needed sponsorship. Enter the Special Olympics, which
partnered with the Shortcut about 40 years ago. The race became synonymous with Special
Olympics, says local Kevin White, who, along with his wife, Joy, ran the race for 11 years.
“For me, the one mile Fun Run was the most critical part of the race,” says White. “The Special
Olympic athletes would line up, some were ultra competitive, but to watch them . . . “ he trails
off, his voice thick with emotion. “I see [some Special Olympians] truly get taller during that
race, it’s totally amazing to see. To see the effort they put into the race, it’s brought me to tears
every year.”

Can’t argue with that, says local Mike Vidakovich. He’s run 35 years’ worth of Strawberry
Shortcuts, and says his favorite Special Olympics runner is Josh Chavez. “He’s so excited on
race day, he never has a bad race. He’ll stop and chat, go back on the race, and sprint to the end
when the crowds cheer.”

Josh Chavez and his family have been one of the larger sponsors of the Strawberry Shortcut
since 2000, when Josh ran his first race at age three. “I like to run fast,” says Josh, who is 22 and
has Down Syndrome. “Way fast is the best, and running in front of my friends.”
His father, Rick Chavez, also runs the race with his family. “We started sponsoring the race
because of Josh. With a child with special needs, this race was something special in the valley.
It’s more than just a race, it’s to support the Special Olympics and every kid in the valley who
will get this opportunity, too.”

With COVID taking the breath away from the race, Chavez says he’d like to see it continue, and
will continue to enthusiastically give financial support to the Shortcut.

Bill Deter, Market President for the Bank of Colorado, agrees. The Bank of Colorado has been
the title sponsor for the Strawberry Shortcut since 1993. “The main goal of the race is the Special
Olympics. We had well over 20 Special Olympians participating last year,” says Deter. The
Strawberry Shortcut donated $5,000 last year to the Special Olympics.

Whether the Strawberry Shortcut happens this year or not, Deter says the Bank of Colorado will
come through. “I don’t think the Special Olympics should suffer because COVID came about,”
he says. “If the race doesn’t go off this year, the Bank of Colorado will donate to the Special
Olympics what we donated to the Strawberry Shortcut in 2019, which will actually exceed last
year’s donation. I would ask Glenwood Springs to get your sneakers on and run, because this is a
totally worthy cause.”

Resources:
https://www.specialolympics.org/
https://glenwoodchamber.com/strawberrydays/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/down-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20355977

Listen:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Will Dance - A book by Nancy Bo Flood

Image
  Nancy Bo Flood and her book, I Will Dance photo by Annie Uyehara Introducing the book, I Will Dance , by Nancy Bo Flood Article By Annie Uyehara “Let me try it.”  These words are the embodiment of who Eva is to Nancy Bo Flood, a local author who has written a book about Eva called, I Will Dance. Eva, the main character in Flood’s children’s book, has cerebral palsy (CP) and is unable to move most of her muscles. Flood was introduced to Eva through her daughter-in-law, Gretchen, the director of Young Dance, an all-inclusive dance company. Flood watched one of the classes and immediately noticed Eva among all the dancers. “It was the joy on her face!” Flood recalls. “In that class, I saw all kinds of disabilities, invisible and visible. I thought, they really mean it when they say they’re an inclusive community of dancers. All were valued for who they were and what they could contribute.” But it was Eva’s tenacity and joy that captured Flood, an award-winning author, and Eva’s journey
Read more

La Esperanza de Emily and COVID-19 Aid

Image
Norma and Louis Teran photo by Annie Uyehara La Esperanza de Emily and COVID-19 Aid By Annie Uyehara Coronavirus can be a bit too much to handle while contending with online schooling, childcare and jobs. But for parents with special needs children, it can compound the hardship. That’s why La Esperanza de Emily  (LEE) is so needed during this time. LEE is an organization designed to support Spanish-speaking families whose children have special needs. Its motto is to “Inspire, Educate, Change.” Its founder, Cecilia Rios, whose daughter Emily inspired her to start La Esperanza de Emily, has collaborated with the Roaring Fork School District to help families during the coronavirus crisis. Norma Teran, along with Rios and several other parents, is a LEE volunteer. “We work with the school district by giving out resources to understand the importance of wearing masks and social distancing,” says Teran, whose 21-year-old son, Louis, has autism. LEE also helps families cope with the challenge
Read more
Image
(Photo by Annie Uyehara)  Meet Alice Everyday Technology Helps Those with Challenges By Annie Uyehara How many times have we seen an ad for Alexa: “Alexa, turn on the lights!” It’s such a convenient device.  But few of us have considered how this popular household product and other everyday technology can be a game-changer for those with physical and cognitive challenges, or for those who want to age independently.  Alice Brouhard has an adult daughter with cognitive disabilities due to a ski accident at age five which left her partially paralyzed and with significant vision loss and no sense of time. Brouhard is a self-professed technology geek, so when she heard about Amazon’s Alexa device, she was intrigued about how it could help her daughter, Kara, become more independent. Because of Alexa and computer applications, Kara has lived on her own for 15 years.  Brouhard, who gave a TEDX talk about how apps gave her daughter a voice, says technology has “changed by light years
Read more