Hospice 5K race not about winning

Sand Mountain Reporter

By Lionel Green
The Reporter

Published March 11, 2010

I received an e-mail from Krysti Franklin on Tuesday.

Krysti is the mother of Avery, the 13-year-old from Trussville who was the fastest female in Saturday’s 2010 Hospice of Marshall County Walk/Race to Remember at Snead State Community College in Boaz. She finished fifth overall, two seconds ahead of her father Lee.

Avery earned top female honors for the second year in a row, finishing in 19:36, and is the first female ever to break the 20-minute mark in the event, besting her own record of 20:27 last year.

I asked Krysti to tell me more about Avery, who has given the $100 she won as the top female back to Hospice of Marshall County both times.

Hospice of Marshall County is a nonprofit agency that provides care to the terminally ill and relies heavily on donations and volunteers to operate effectively.

Avery has a strong Sand Mountain connection. Her grandparents, Pat and Dennis Rainey, live in Albertville, and her 86-year-old great-grandmother Jeanne Pearson lives in Guntersville.

Avery is an eighth grade student at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School. The oldest of five children, Avery is an honor student and part of the National Junior Honor Society.

Krysti’s e-mail started off congratulating me for finishing my first 5K that day, but she wanted to clarify why Avery wanted to win so badly.

“My father-in-law passed away last year and was cared for by hospice in Pensacola, Fla.,” Krysti wrote. “Shortly after his death we heard about this race, and Avery and her dad decided to race in his memory. They raced last year, and she won. Once she won she donated her prize money back in remembrance of her ‘Pop.’

“This year she came back to win. She wanted to beat her own record from the previous year, and most of all she wanted to be able to once again donate her winnings back to Hospice.

“She had a track meet the night before and didn't get to Boaz until 11:45 p.m. on Friday, and was so worried she wouldn't be ready. Her comment to me before the race was, ‘I don't want someone to beat me because I want to give that money back. They need every bit they get from this run.’

“Avery also spent time at Marshall County Hospice over her Christmas break volunteering, and plans on adding that ‘Giving Back’ to her plan each year as well. Sometimes there is more to going out to win a race than just running fast.”

Avery’s grandfather, who passed away and who she ran in memory of, is named Roy Allen, of Pace, Fla.

I imagine he’s a pretty proud Pop right now.

Lionel Green is a staff writer for The Sand Mountain Reporter. His e-mail address is lgreen(at)sandmountainreporter.com.