Helping Kids Smile, One Race at a Time

EPIC runners James, Mike, Chris and Ken participated in the 3rd annual Cardinals Care Race on September 16, 2012. Nine hundred eighty four runners raced from the Stan Musial Statue at Busch Stadium, through the streets of downtown St. Louis, finishing on-field inside Busch stadium. The race invited runners to “be an MVP just like Stan” and honored his legacy by promoting health and wellness while supporting a great cause.

This was the second race of the year for the EPIC group. In August they participated in the Wood River Triathalon, and they plan to compete in at least two more events.

This race was the first 6k, a little over 3.7 miles, for Chris. He enjoyed the race and the comradery of running in a sea of Cardinal red. “We nudged the few unlucky Cubs’ fans out of the way,” said Chris.

Each team member received a medal for finishing and Ken received a trophy for his race results. Ken finished in an impressive 23 minutes and 53 seconds to earn him 2nd place in his age group (men 30-39) and 4th place in the overall race.

All of the runners that day helped make a difference in the life of a deserving child. In order to participate in the 6K, each runner was required to raise or donate a total of $75. As a team they raised a little over a thousand dollars. This contribution went to Cardinals Care, the charity branch of the Cardinals. Since 1997, Cardinals Care has given almost $18 million to support St. Louis area non-profit youth organizations, built 19 youth ball fields in local disadvantaged neighborhoods and served over 4,500 kids per season as part of the Redbird Rookies program.

The Cardinals take seriously their mission of “Caring for Kids” through these community programs. By participating in this race, our EPIC runners know they had something to do with making a difference for those kids.