"Dash for Mat's Bash" - October 3

It's being billed as "the costume based fun run". What it is - is a fun time that everyone in the area can enjoy for a very worthy cause. It's an easy six block round trip marathon, walkaton, stroll-a-thon or whatever you want to do-a-thon. There are prizes for the first ten male and first ten female runners. After the dash there will be a costume contest for the younger ones. The choice to dress in a Halloween costume is entirely up to the runner/walker. Each child will get a bag of candy and the first 100 to register will also get a pumpkin. There will be door prizes with the winners being randomly selected using the running bib number. Door prizes will be drawn after the race. Everyone pre-registered will get a t-shirt. As of last Monday there were only an additional 50 XL sized shirts left.

Registration is $10 for adults and $3 for children. The race/walk will start at Village Hall in Wellsville at 6 P.M. on Saturday, October 3. The route goes up Main St. from 12th to 6th, over to Riverside on 6th, down to 9th, back to Main finishing up at Village Hall. Organizers will be on hand at Village Hall starting at 3 P.M. for issuing race packets and additional registrations. Pre-registrations can still be made by calling Tim or Annie Long at 330-532-3336 or 412-735-0418. All proceeds go to the Mathugh Johnston Scholarship Fund. This is the first annual "dash".

Mathugh Johnston has been described to me as the All-American kid by folks in his old neighborhood. In 2003, at the age of 11, he was diagnosed with bone cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation through much of 2004. He was declared cancer free for nearly two years. Then in August, 2006, he was diagnosed with leukemia. At the age of 15 God called Mathugh home on March 27, 2007.

Mat liked sports of all kinds but his main passion was football. He deeply loved football in any way, shape or form. A scholarship was established in Mat's memory and is awarded annually to a Wellsville senior football player at the yearly awards assembly. The first two recipients were Jeff Hanselman and Ryan Crabtree. Hanselman attends YSU and Crabtree is enrolled at Cleveland State. The organizers are hoping to increase the annual scholarship awarding one to a senior football player and a second one to a senior female athlete. They are hoping this celebration of Mat's life is a huge success with lots of registrations. That's where you can help. You can register and you don't even have to run or walk. I jumped on that right away!

Mat, pictured above, would have been 17 on October 26. Don't you know he's up there cheering on his Tiger team mates that are now 4 & 0. He'll be smiling down with pride on all that take part in the "dash" too.

You can bet your sweet bippy he will. See you October 3,,,

ole nib