The Karen Lawrence Run has become a popular Chattanooga tradition on New Year’s Eve for the past 35 years.
Karen Lawrence was 11 at the time the first race was held and battling acute lymphocytic leukemia. She was present and fired the gun for that initial event in 1979 before losing that battle in the spring of 1980.
Karen’s family got involved in a big way that first year and they’ve been extremely involved ever since as this four-mile race has benefitted the St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis for the last 35 years. More than three-quarters of a million dollars has been raised for the world-famous institution that Danny Thomas started.
The Karen Lawrence Run will again be held on December 31, just like it has been since the beginning, but the name has changed and the beneficiary of the proceeds has changed as well.
It will now be called the Karen Lawrence Run for the Ronald McDonald House of Chattanooga.
The Ronald McDonald House was built at the corner of Third Street and Central Avenue. The idea began in 1985 with the facility being dedicated in 1990. It houses families of critically-ill children and allows them to be part of their child’s medical care.
Local officials request $10 per day to help cover costs, but much like St. Jude, nobody is turned away for inability to pay. The house can serve 26 families a day and since June 1, they have been filled to capacity.
Members of the Lawrence family thought long and hard about the decision to change, but the more they thought about it, the more sense it made.
You see, Jane Kaylor is now the CEO at Ronald McDonald. Her daughter Lori was a St. Jude patient at the same time Karen was there and the Kaylor family got to be good friends with the Lawrence family. Lori’s battle ended in February 1984.
As part of the grieving and healing process, Karen’s mother Phyllis started working as a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House. She’s been doing it for the past 25 years, so making this latest change is a win-win situation for everyone.
“My daughter and Karen were treated at the same time. Phyllis became a volunteer when the house opened in 1990 and we’ve become dear friends since. We were totally blown away when the Lawrence family told us what they had decided to do,” Jane said Friday afternoon when the formal announcement was made at the downtown Sports Barn where the race has been held since the beginning.
“We have a lot of people in the Chattanooga area who are very good about supporting charitable organizations, but they want to be able to see, feel and touch where their money is going. This will certainly be a big boost for us,” she added.
Mike Lawrence, Karen’s older brother who has been an integral part of this event’s success, is even more excited now than ever before.
“This is going to be a banner year for this event as we have more sponsors and many more people will be involved,” he said after the picture was taken that included the Lawrence family and representatives from the Sports Barn and the Ronald McDonald House.
“It was certainly a big decision for our family. Karen’s wish was always for St. Jude to benefit, but had she lived, she would have grown up at the Ronald McDonald House. It just makes sense to us because of Mom and her time there, but we’ve always wanted this to be a local event and the proceeds can benefit a local organization,” he added.
Kim Kinley-Lawrence, Karen’s twin sister who now lives in Knoxville with her family that includes a 10-year-old son named Caden and a six-year-old daughter named Gracen, agrees with the rest of the family that this is positive change for an event that draws hundreds of folks to the Sports Barn on the last night of the year.
“The longer I’ve thought about it, the more sense it makes to me. The Ronald McDonald House was mom’s saving grace and both of my kids have spent a lot of time there with their grandmother. Karen taught us all how to live and I know she’s in mom’s head and heart every time she’s there,” she said by phone Friday afternoon.
“This is truly the house that love built and it’s all come full circle with our family. I’m so glad that the money raised will be invested locally and I think that it will be a great partnership for many years to come.
“I’ll be there on New Year’s Eve as I can’t think of a better place to be that night,” Kim concluded.
Registration for this year’s event will begin on November 20 at active.com. As has been the case since the beginning, there will be a four-mile main event and a two-mile event that can be a run or a walk.
If you’ve never experienced this event, you need to make plans. Even if you have other plans for the New Year’s celebration, you can still be part of this event and do the other as well.
It’s a great way to end the year and there’s no better feeling than helping someone less fortunate. Festivities on Dec. 31 begin at 4 p.m. with the four-mile race set to start at 7.
We hope to see you there!
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@comcast.net)