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Left, Justin Nichols, Mady’s father and Mady Church-Nichols show off their “We Stride For Mady” t-shirts that are being sold by the “Catch Us If You Can” motivational fitness group to help raise money for Mady’s birthday wish list.
By Kate Krieger. MCP Correspondent.
LUDINGTON – The Catch Us If You Can motivational fitness group, along with many other supporters have been meeting for three years to support each other during Ludington’s annual Lakstride running/walking events. Last year, the group decided to not only run together in support of one another, its members decided to have a charity t-shirt drive, where they raised $1,400 for the Richards Family Fund, a family whose son was killed during the 2013 Boston Marathon and their daughter was injured in the bombing.
This year, the group is holding another t-shirt drive in honor of someone a little closer to home. We Stride For Mady is this year’s charity, supporting the ongoing recovery of Mady Church-Nichols, 7, who was injured in a car accident earlier this year that took the lives of her mother and half-sister.
Mady’s family spokesperson, Kami Wightman-Fulton says, “Mady is doing very well with her recovery efforts, she is up and walking and doing very well. She is also really excited about attending the Lakestride event and hoping to see many of her friends.”
Mady returned home last week and will also be celebrating her eighth birthday on June 16. The Catch Us If You Can group is incorporating Mady’s birthday into the Lakestride Fun Run event at 6 p.m., Friday, June 13.
The one-mile fun run is a favorite event for many area families and children and the group will be holding a birthday celebration after the event’s finish in honor of Mady, giving birthday cake and ice cream to every child who ran the event. House of Flavors will be donating the ice cream for the event and Kelli Bly from Le Serving Spoon, Barb Wilson of Barb’s Cakes and Kristen Madl of Kristen’s Kupcakes are all donating cakes or cupcakes for the celebration. Shirley Fredericks, along with her daughter Kim Evans are working on a quilt to present to Mady at the celebration. Mady will be participating in the Fun Run, being pulled in a wagon by her family.
The Lakestride 5K, 10K and half marathon will be held Saturday, June 14 and anyone supporting We Stride For Mady can arrive at 7:30 a.m. at the north concession stand in Stearns Park for a pre-race photo. Registration will be held in a large tent, located in the center of Stearns Park. The half marathon starts at 8 a.m. The 5K is at 8:10 a.m. and the 10K at 8:15 a.m.
The Catch Us If You Can group is selling a variety of items to help raise money to go towards Mady’s birthday wish list. So far the group has raised enough money to help buy a new padded car seat and a ninja blender and they hope to purchase her a new trundle bed and mattress set, along with other items on her list.
We Stride For Mady t-shirts or zebra print socks can be purchased at Monkey Business, 111 N. Rath Avenue with all proceeds going to purchase items off Mady’s birthday wish list. Cotton t-shirts are $15, New Balance tech shirts are $21 and knee-high zebra socks are $10. The colors all reflect Mady’s favorite colors “pink and zebra stripes.”
“We hope this can be a wonderful, community wide celebration for this little girl,” Catch Us If You Can member, Kathy Grierson said. “It has been a really awesome process to watch as the community has come forward to rally around this celebration. Maurie Holbrook, the director of the Lakestride, Sara Hutchinson and Ronni Magee, the organizers of the Fun Run and Barry Neal from House of Flavors have all been wonderful. The positive energy involved in these individuals is amazing.”
The location for the Fun Run is currently still being determined. For Fun Run updates visit www.ludingtonlakestride.com and for more information about donating, buying t-shirts or socks or helping purchase items from Mady’s wish list, contact Monkey Business at 231-239-2362.
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