Join The Race In Remembrance Of Those Lost In The Parkland Shooting
By Nicole Cleri
The annual MSD Heroes Challenge will be held on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Parkland Equestrian Center from 7:30 a.m. until noon. This challenge is an obstacle course race for athletes of all skill levels and ages. Participants will partake in a two-mile race filled with fun and challenging obstacles followed by a signature Heroes yoga class.
All funds raised at the event will be used to provide two $1,000 scholarships to student leaders in local schools and to support Stand with Parkland, The National Association of Families for Safe Schools along with other nonprofit organizations. This challenge was founded in 2018 by local community activists Doug Eaton, Manny Mair, Amy Kenny and Debra Hixon.
“Parkland is one of the most supportive and giving communities in the country. We value each resident and providing the resources to make safety a top priority in our community is one of my family’s core values. It is our responsibility to make the community a safer place to live, work and raise a family, and this race is just one small way we can gather together to help,” said Doug Eaton.
Lizzie Eaton, senior at MSD and the DECA President was very involved in the #NeverAgainmovement and ever since the incident, the Eaton family has been very passionate about making the community feel safer.
“After the shooting I traveled to Tallahassee and we spoke to our state legislature and we really got the word out there about what happened to us,” said Eaton. “I also had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC for the March of Our Lives and speak to representatives on a national level.”
The prices to participate in the race is $25 for adults, $15 each for teams of four people or more. MSD students and teachers are $5.
To volunteer, donate or sign up for the race you can go to their Facebook page MSD Hereo’sChallenge or register and pick a time slot on their website: https://www.active.com/parkland-fl/adventure-racing/races/msd-heroes-challenge-2019