Miles for Meso Race & Walk Fundraising Information
Bruce A. Waite Miles for Meso 5K Run/Walk
Ohio Family Dedicates Race to Memory of Bruce A. Waite
Bruce A. Waite, a teacher at Mansfield Senior from 1959-1989, and an avid runner for over 30 years, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2002 and died in 2003. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by asbestos exposure and can take take 10-40 years to develop. The Inaugral Bruce A. Waite Miles for Meso 5K Run/Walk is to honor the life and legacy of Bruce and to support critical mesothelioma research that will hopefully someday find a cure for this fatal disease. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
Click to Register Today Online!
Race Information
Saturday, September 23, 2012
Race Day Registartion begins @ 1 PM
5K Run/Walk begins at @ 2 PM
Location
Ontario High School
457 Shelby Ontario Road
Ontario, Ohio 44906
Awards
Awards will be given for overall top male/female finishers and for the following age groups:
19 & under • 20-29 • 30-39 • 40-49 • 50-59 • 60+
Registration Fees
$15, if pre-registered by Sept. 15th
$20, to register on race day
The first 200 people registered will received a long-sleeved, techniqual Miles for Meso T-shirt.
Online Registration Closing Date
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Click to Download the PDF Registration Form.
Send Mail-in registrations to:
Bruce A. Waite 5KPO Box 102
Ontario, OH 44862
Please make checks payable to:
Bruce A Waite 5K
All Proceeds will benefit:
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
Bruce's Challenge to His Students
Bruce A. Waite was a man among men. He stood strong in integrity in every aspect of his life.
As an educator, Mr. Waite focused diligently on his students, and their opportunities to learn. He taught English (Advanced Comp, Great Books, Practical Reading and Writing) from 1959-1989, and served as National Honor Society advisor. He believed in the structure of the language and the practice of speaking and writing well. Many college professors remarked that they knew when freshmen students had completed classes with Mr. Waite because of their command of the English language.
He did much more than simply teach - he imparted knowledge. He did not measure success by simply marking grades in a grade book, but by exacting a change in the lives of his students. And in keeping with his altruistic nature, Mr. Waite measured his success second to the successes of his students. His students were so important to him that he never forgot a name, even of those students from earlier years of teaching.
He was a mentor for his students and his colleagues, and continually set the example of humility. He was a well-respected man and he lived his life with impact, although his humility never allowed him to understand the magnitude of his sacrifices for others.
Bruce was an avid runner, never missing a day in over 33 years. Tendonitis (which required him to walk with crutches, and he put aside to run), illnesses, and severe weather did not stop his determination. He kept a running journal, in which he logged over 76,000 miles in numerous states. Nothing stopped him when he ran – the only time his step ever wavered was his encounter with a moose on the path while running in Wyoming. He ran as catharsis, and he did so with ease and freedom.
In 2002, his breathing became more labored and a series of appointments and surgeries led to the diagnosis of mesothelioma – a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. His wife Nancy and daughter Jill by his side, Bruce's runs became walks, and then his walks became just the effort to breathe. His commitment to running was his greatest weapon against the mesothelioma, and as he did in every aspect of his life, Bruce Waite faced his illness with determination, but the insidious effects of this ravaging disease had been forming in his body for 30-40 years.
Bruce Waite took his final breath on March 25, 2003, but his legacy continues on – through a scholarship, and now through this 5K. Organized in his name and honor, all proceeds from the race will be given to further research needed to develop better treatments and and, someday, a cure for mesothelioma. If Bruce's legacy can assist one family to not endure what his did, then his suffering was not in vain. On his chalkboard were written his own words by which he lived, and a challenge to us all:
The road to mediocrity is heavily traveled;
the path to excellence, seldom traversed.
~Bruce A. Waite
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