Sunny skies welcomed participants in the 8th Annual Run for Taylor this Sunday, July 17, at the Hamburg Area High School outdoor track.
The memorial event, which includes a 5K run, 1-mile walk and “fun run” lap for children, raised $6,000 for a local scholarship fund.
Brooke Schlenker paused from her volunteer post, selling raffle tickets, on Sunday to explain why the event was a perfect way to honor her high school friend, Taylor Seitzinger, a HAHS student who died after a car accident in 2009.
“It’s true to who Taylor was,” Schlenker said of the run. “She was an athlete and a competitor. She loved some healthy competition.”
Schlenker was among 50 volunteers who worked the event. Directing their efforts was Sue Phillips, a long-time friend of the Seitzinger family including Taylor’s father, Troy, and mother, Tammy.
“Our kids were in the play pen together,” Phillips said. “Taylor was a sweetheart. She was a natural athlete and excelled at everything she did. Her smile lit up the whole room.”
“If this had happened to one of her classmates,” Phillips said of the teenager’s untimely death, “she would have been here volunteering. She was everyone’s buddy, everyone’s friend.”
Great weather for this year’s Run for Taylor boosted participation.
“We had about 170 runners,” Phillips said, along with 20 to 30 walkers and more than 30 children. “Each year it has gotten a little bit better.”
Shilpa Moser ran in the race. Her son, Ajay, participated in the kid’s run. Taylor was a relative of the family, who live in Shoemakersville and participate each year. Moser said the day was hot and pushing through the hills was difficult.
“But that doesn’t stop anyone from crossing the finish line with a smile on their face and Taylor in their heart,” she said.
“The run is about keeping Taylor and her legacy close in our minds,” Moser added. “Friends and family unite at this event since 2009 when she was taken from this world too soon.”
Memories of Taylor make the day bittersweet said her mother, Tammy Seitzinger.
“But I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all their time to put this wonderful event together in memory of my daughter so we are able to award a scholarship to a well deserving Hamburg senior that represents what Taylor stood for,” she said. “As a parent who lost a child the best possible thing is to see the support of all the family and friends and know that Taylor will never be forgotten.”
Steel Seitzinger, Taylor’s cousin, played upbeat tunes from his DJ station on Sunday. Nearby, attendees could register for the event, buy bright yellow race t-shirts or purchase scoops of ice cream. All funds raised go to the scholarship fund.
Originally, Phillips said, Taylor’s uncle and aunt, Dana and Kathy Seitzinger, organized the event. Phillips took over as director in 2013 and said the work is accomplished through members of a race committee.
“I don’t even worry the day of the event,” she said. “Everybody does their job. People pitch in that just show up. It works out really, really well.”
The winners of this year’s 5K were Sam Snukis (female) and Chris Brennan (male). Each received a custom medal plus a $25 gift certificate to A Running Start, $25 in cash and a bag of pistachios. The later has become a tradition at the race, said Troy Seitzinger, Taylor’s father.
He was pleased that the day was close to the goal of 200 runners.
“To make money is good,” he said, but “if we don’t make much money, it’s still about remembering Taylor, not just for me, but for all the families and friends, even strangers who read Taylor’s story. The scholarship money’s a bonus.”
In the end, remembering Taylor is what it is all about, her father said.
“Of course, I remember Taylor every day of my life,” he added. “I still pray for her every day.”
Each year, one Hamburg senior receives a $2,500 scholarship toward secondary education costs from Run for Taylor. Local students should contact the high school’s guidance office for information about the scholarship. The run’s organizers hope to raise enough funds to award multiple scholarships each year.
