Badge of Honor Benefit Run raises $34,000-plus

As the sound of a siren echoed through the air on the campus of Three Rivers College Saturday morning, 145 runners began their 5K, 10K and half-mile journeys in the Badge of Honor Benefit Run.

Now in its fifth year, the Badge of Honor Benefit Run came about from an idea to support the families of fallen law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical personnel in their toughest times. Proceeds from the event are distributed among four charities - The Backstoppers, The Masters, the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police and, new this year, Supporting Heroes.

“We’re at our five-year mark, and I can’t believe it’s here,” said Race Director Jeff Vitale. “We’re pretty excited, and it’s turned out really well.”

Poplar Bluff Fraternal Order of Police Treasurer Shonna Grobe was pleased with the “very good” turnout. “Everybody always comes out and wants to support law enforcement, firefighters and EMS, and at the end of the day, all the funds and the charities they go toward just makes it better for all of us,” she said.

While some runners took part to achieve personal goals or other reasons, many had a personal stake.

“This is for my friends and family,” said Hayley Wilson, who, as the wife of a Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper, has to worry about her husband every day and takes the run personally.

“I ran for the honor of the fallen, but also because my mom passed away from cancer last week. To me this was a tribute to her,” said Don Sechrest of Birch Tree, Mo.

Twenty-one minutes after the start, Poplar Bluff’s Nick Hopwood crossed the finish line as the 5K run’s overall male champion in his first attempt.

“It was a good race, and I was happy to come out for a good cause. It was a tough, hilly course,” Hopwood said.

Taking second and third in the 5K male division were Jared Hicks and Reje Tenchavez, respectively, just seconds apart.

Not far behind was Joan Tabanera, taking the overall female champion title with a time of 30:03. At 41, Tabanera has finished no worse than third the last three years.

“This is my third year to run,” said Tabanera, noting the race is significant to her because it “brings the community together for a good cause. I’m in my 40s and I have a hectic schedule and don’t practice as much as I should, so I didn’t think I could do it, but you just have to believe in yourself.”

May Tenchavez grabbed second place in the 5K female division, only 2 seconds behind Tabanera, her longtime best friend. Miranda Fickert, pushing her 2-year-old son, Slade, in a jogging stroller, was only a minute behind in third place.

In the 10K race’s male division, Kevin Bramlett (42:21) took first place, while Adam Rice (44:55) was second and Poplar Bluff’s James Zimmerman (45:00) earned the third spot.

In the female division, Poplar Bluff’s Lora Ashcroft was the overall champion with a time of 53:19. Ellsinore's Kehaunani Brewington (53:30) took second place and Tiffany Jenkins (56:45) rounded out the top three.

Matt Ballew won the male division of the half marathon in a time of 1 hour, 40 minutes, 20 seconds. Only 26 seconds behind was Piedmont’s Jacob Chaney (1:40:46). Taking the third position was Poplar Bluff’s Mike Conover in 1:48:46.

In the female division, Ellsinore’s Bonnie Thompson was the overall champion with a time of 1:50:01. Second place was earned by Jennifer Jefcoat (1:54:04) and third went to Ellsinore’s Amy Stahl (2:04:44).

This year’s Badge of Honor Benefit Run, Vitale said, grossed approximately $34,600 in sponsor money, race registrations and product sales. That also includes money raised at Scotty’s Brewhouse during a Saturday promotion for the event.

“We can’t do this without our sponsors,” said Vitale, noting Harry Blackwell Dodge, Hefner Furniture & Appliance and First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff have been major supporters from the beginning. “They didn’t bat an eye when I asked them to be Ultimate Sponsors.”

On the web: www.bohbr.com, www.supportingheroes.org, www.themastersmo.org, www.mofop.org