A VICTORIOUS JASON GISH APPROACHES THE FINISH LINE, TWO SECONDS AHEAD OF JOSH EVANS. JOHN WALKER PHOTO

Perfect Weather for Paxton Fest

BY JOHN GILL

HARRISBURG, PA--The temperature was cool the skies were overcast,
and the mood was electric; Perfect conditions for the Paxton Fest 2007
13th annual 2-Mile Run & Walk which took place on Saturday October 6th.

Runners began arriving well before the 9:00 a.m. start and soon Sycamore
Street was packed with men, women, and children waiting for the sound of
the horn that would signal the start of the race.

I stood at the side of the starting line, cell phone in hand, waiting to
call a Messiah College volunteer, Melanie, who was waiting at the one-
mile mark to shout out times as the runners passed by her.

The horn sounded and over 100 runners flew past me, past our home, and
down the street towards the Capital Area Greenbelt, while crowds of
onlookers cheered them on. The first band hit the stage and Paxton Fest
2007 was in full swing. Following the runners were about 30 residents,
volunteers, staff, and children, some of them in strollers, who walked
the course behind the runners. Several people were raising sponsorship
money to help support the ministry.

It seemed like only seconds when word spread that the first runners were
nearing the finish line. A crowd started to gather around the finish
line while Walt Greene of the Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club, along
with several volunteers from Messiah College, prepared for the runners’
arrival

Cheers arose as the first of the runners turned from 19th Street onto
Sycamore Street for the final leg of the race. As Jason Gish got closer
the excitement began to build and the clock was ticking. Jason crossed
the finish line at 10:04, followed closely by Josh Evans (the husband of
one of our Paxton Ministries employees) who crossed the finish line with
a time of 10:06 to take second place. The first female to cross the
finish line was Sayard Tanis whose time was 12:10, followed by Marion
Smoot who crossed the finish line at 12:58.

Cheers were heard again when a group of Paxton Ministries residents,
several baby strollers, and two or three exhausted moms crossed the
finish line. The last of our walkers came across the line about 40
minutes after the start of the race. All in all it was a great race and
an amazing start to the day. Paxton Ministries was celebrating 25 years
of helping and housing close to 90 residents, many of whom suffer with
mental, developmental, and emotional challenges.

SAYARD TANIS TAKES TOP WOMEN’S HONORS. JOHN WALKER PHOTO

Overall
Placement Runner’s Name Sex Age Finish Time
1 Jason Gish M 32 10:04
2 Josh Evans M 25 10:06
3 Justin Dosch M 24 10:07
4 Eric DeMerice M 26 10:17
5 Greg Cauller M 48 10:20
6 Scott Shaeffer M 29 10:41
7 Richard Shaffer M 23 11:06
8 Luke Stiffler M 14 11:26
9 Marten Beels M 28 11:28
10 Blake Bumer M 14 11:40
11 Ray Ricke Jr. M 46 11:51
12 Darin Hickethier M 27 11:55
13 Sayard Tanis F 25 12:10
14 Edward A. Pague M 35 12:40
15 John Yanoviak M 46 12:43
16 Brent Shearer M 39 12:44
17 Marion Smoot F 16 12:58
18 Brian Ogle M 34 13:03
19 Jim Heckard M 37 13:06
20 James Plante M 13 13:13
21 Kim Engle F 46 13:14
22 Jason Webb M 32 13:23
23 Timothy Salotto M 18 13:39
24 Adam Schrader M 35 13:43
25 Kate Evans F 26 13:44
26 Chris Book M 51 13:46
27 Lisa Mast F 32 13:47
28 Mandy Webb F 31 13:53
29 Brad Colwell M 58 14:01
30 Edward R. Pague M 58 14:23
31 Andrew Ashcraft M 27 14:25
32 Phil Biesecker M 33 14:41
33 Wendell Hoover M 32 14:41
34 James Reid M 27 14:48
35 Carl Lundblad M 37 14:47
36 Merle Reinford M 57 14:52
37 Steve Wasserman M 45 14:53
38 Richard Rayner M 45 14:57
39 Eric Scheetz M 12 14:59
40 Jason Hock M 28 14:59
41 Ruth Anne Engle F 37 15:04
42 Yvonne Lodovici F 49 15:05
43 Phil Engle M 42 15:14
44 Luke Schrader M 15 15:18
45 Jeremy Burkholder M 30 15:19
46 Stephanie Koppenhaver F 33 15:25
47 Jodie Eck F 39 15:25
48 David Scheetz M 51 15:27
49 James Laverty M 46 15:36
50 Julie Hurst F 43 15:53
51 Lance Reneker M 12 15:59
52 Robert Markley M 53 16:23
53 Sherry Spotts F 36 16:30
54 Rick Marko M 42 16:35
55 Kate Ashcraft F 27 16:35
56 Jolene Rasmus F 30 16:35
57 Gerhard Wendt M 38 16:36
58 Stephanie Kardohely F 32 16:39
59 Lori Schmoyer F 31 16:40
60 Rhonda Good F 36 16:43
61 Mike L. Walters M 53 16:45
62 Kevin Noll M 32 16:49
63 Bruce Weaver M 62 16:59
64 Gideon Buckwalter M 11 17:20
65 Mary Lou Osevala F 51 17:24
66 Jennifer Santner F 21 17:29
67 Jill Bucks F 55 17:49
68 Ruthann Hoffman F 57 18:27
69 Joanna Shelley F 27 18:39
70 Katie Clay F 14 19:06
71 Burt Hughes M 74 19:07
72 Brock Shelley M 27 19:09
73 Holly Ricke F 38 19:29
74 Cindy Witmer F 48 19:42
75 Cassandra Colwell F 13 19:45
76 Julie Prensner F 30 19:49
77 Chloe Buckwalter F 9 19:53
78 Pete Cafarchio M 43 20:06
79 Steve Schwartz M 37 20:06
80 Michelle Bucks F 26 20:07
81 Vctoria Gosselin F 19 20:16
82 Lisa Black F 33 20:17
83 Kermit Meck M 69 21:39
84 Charles Laverty, Jr. M 82 23:14
85 Kendra Book F 21 23:44
86 Nancy Rasmus F 62 25:28
87 Neil Reinford M 41 27:11
88 Donna Reinford F 36 27:12
89 Denise Rennibger F 33 27:43
90 Tina George F 34 27:43
91 Missy Schrader F 32 28:22
92 Tina Rensel F 29 29:57
93 Kristy Richmond F 38 29:58
94 Kim Batz F 50 30:24
95 Theresa Ozehowski F 43 34:10
96 Stacy Reese F 40 36:58
97 Michele Mena F 37 37:34
98 Eric Mena M 38 37:36
99 Marcia Huntzinger F 62 38:12
100 Annette Gallagher F 53 38:23
101 Amy Storm F 40 38:53
102 Jen Noll F 31 38:54