Run raises almost $7,000 for Connor Strickland Memorial Scholarship
HANCEVILLE, Ala. — More than 120 runners ran through clouds of colored powder during the Connor Strickland Memorial Color Run 5K and Fun Run held recently at Wallace State Community College, helping to raise almost $7,000 for the John Connor Strickland Memorial Scholarship Fund.
“I was amazed and very grateful,” said Jill Strickland, Connor’s mother, of the turnout. Strickland is a success coach at Wallace State and an adjunct professor for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program. The run was organized by PTA students in honor of Connor Strickland, who passed away last year, days before his 22nd birthday.
Jill Strickland said the run was very uplifting and hopeful, with a lot of her son’s family friends attending in support. The race got off with a bang, with Connor’s father John pulling the trigger on a potato gun Connor built to start the race.
Along with the run, the PTA students held a bake sale and released 100 balloons in Connor’s favorite color, green.
While Jill Strickland didn’t run in the race, she said she wasn’t able to avoid getting the different hues on her.
“I tried to stay clean, but I did a lot of hugging that day, so I did get some color on me,” she laughed.
The money raised from the run will go to the endowed scholarship set up in Connor’s name shortly after his death. The first scholarship from the fund was presented to Josh Gamble, an Automotive Service Technology student at Wallace State.
Donations to the scholarship fund can be made by calling 256.352.8144 or by visiting www.wsccfuturefoundation.org.