News & Features
Run for the Future
By Cameron Steele
Jul 23, 2008 - 1:33:11 PM

#215, Esther Erb, was the first female finisher.

Over 180 runners and 30 walkers got a head start on the heat Saturday morning, participating in the 7th annual Lucy Corr 5K run for the future.  The race, which raised $15,000 last year and is on target to reach the same amount this summer, benefits the residents of the Lucy Corr Village, a local retirement and long term care facility.

Leigh Robbins, the CEO of Lucy Corr Village and a member of the Lucy Corr Foundation, the Village’s fundraising arm and main event sponsor, says that the race has grown each year.
“[The race] is a family run…it sets us apart,” says Robbins. Runners age seven to 70 ran last year, and the flat 5K loop on the Village campus has attracted both families and serious runners alike.

According to Robbins, Sonny Currin, chairman of the Lucy Corr Foundation, came up with the idea of a 5K fundraiser after collaborating with the foundation seven years ago. This year, the race attractions included a DJ, a chiropractor to lead runners through pre-race stretches, and a post-race awards ceremony.

Richmond Resident Cary Chaffee, 24, finished first with a time of 15:07. The top female finisher was Esther Erb, 22, who clocked in at 17:03. Although most runners were from the Chesterfield/Richmond area, others hailed from all over the state, as well as from North Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio.

The Richmond Road Runners timed the run and recorded the race results.

#225, Javier Escobar, finished first in the male 30-34 age group.

In addition to the 5K run, a 2.5 walk along Chesterfield County’s naturalized trail reached out to people and Village residents who wanted to participate but couldn’t or didn’t want to run.
Event coordinator Bonnie Meyers says the race wouldn’t have happened without the help of Chesterfield Parks and Recreation and area businesses and sponsors.

“We had a great support system in the county,” says Meyers, who has helped plan the race for the past three years. “We want to make it the greatest event for the people who come.”
Fire and Emergency Medical Services and Chesterfield County Police worked with Parks and Recreation on the logistics involved in keeping the run safe. Over 40 area individuals and businesses sponsored the race. There were 13 “super-sponsors,” who donated $1,000 or more and whose names were listed on the back of the race T-shirts.

In addition to raising money, Meyers says the race raises awareness about Lucy Corr Village. Robbins agrees.

“[The Village] was created by the community for the community,” she says. Both women think that their long term care and retirement facilities are important for people to know about.

The money raised will be used to help fund several ongoing projects at Lucy Corr Village, including a dental clinic and a therapeutic wellness garden. Robbins hopes the garden will be a place of solace for residents – just one example of the programs that help to enrich residents’ lives.

Robbins and Meyers agree that the Race for the Future helps to ensure the continuation and maintenance of such programs as well as support the 300+ Village residents.

“We’ve never had a resident discharged [for monetary reasons],” says Robbins. “But we need to continue to have support.”

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