Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 9-15, 2018 UCW 15 The Derby Run: In memory of Justin Lopes by STEPHANIE CRIDER COVER STORY Justin Lopes (photo above, facing camera) is celebrated and honored every year in a memorial 5K run at Terry Sanford High School, his alma mater. Losing a loved one is never easy. But when the unthinkable happened in 2014, the Lopes family turned tragedy into triumph. It's something they still choose daily. Saturday, May 19, The Derby Run, in memory of Justin Lopes, is set for 8:30 a.m. at Terry Sanford High School. Justin was a rising senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in finance when he died unexpectedly. He was involved in the community and played soccer and baseball. He was in the Key Club and National Honor Society. He was active in his local church as well. It was a devastating blow to those who loved him. After Justin died, close family friends David and Andrea Phillips wanted to do something to celebrate his life. David, a longtime runner, thought a memorial 5K run might work. His wife, Andrea, agreed. "It was a learning experience the first year," said David. "It was something we'd never done before." "Our family has always been very close," said Justin's mom, Donna Lopes, on behalf of the entire family (Donna and Ricky Lopes, Rebecca Lopes Aul and Emily Lopes Townsend). "We loved Justin so much and continue to miss him every day. We are incredibly grateful that friends and family are coming together to raise money to benefit children within the community in his memory. Justin loved sports and loved to compete, so The Derby Run is an event we feel certain he would enjoy." The course starts at Terry Sanford High School and runs through beautiful Haymount neighbor- hoods as well the Fayetteville Technical Commu- nity College campus. The run is easy and f lat. "I hope the run continues to grow," David said. "This is the first year we are timing the race, which we hope will bring more serious runners. Another thing we've talked about is integrating the race to a 10K next year." Each runner will receive a commemorative T- shirt and a bag. T-shirts are also available for pur- chase. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash. Donna added that the top three male and female finishers will receive trophies. The top three male and female finishers by age category will also re- ceive awards. But it is important to the Lopes fam- ily to have whimsical elements, too. They encour- age anyone who's interested to wear a Kentucky Derby-style hat. "We will have judges who pick the best hat. The same for strollers. Decorate them in a derby theme. We will have awards for first three dogs and first three strollers to cross the finish line, too." She added that 96.5 BOB FM will be at Terry Sanford as well. Nonprofits will benefit from the event – The Child Advocacy Center and Cy's World Foundation, along with the Kentucky-based nonprofit Water Step. The Child Advocacy Center works with partners in the community, including law enforcement and medical practitioners, to offer children a safe place that supports the prevention, investigation and prosecution of child abuse. CAC not only offers a safe place to interview children, but it also provides prevention education for parents, professionals and agencies in our community. During FY 2017, the center served 696 children and their families and, by coordinating efforts, saved the community more than $500,000. Cy's World Foundation was founded in 2010 to honor Edgar Clyde Garber I V, who died at age 17. "Cy was at Terr y Sanford w it h Justin," said Donna. "They had been close friends since elementar y school." Cy's World Foundation seeks to promote a love of the outdoors. The goal of the organization is to offer grants that focus on teaching, introducing, and com- pelling youth to enjoy outdoors safely, with conser- vation of natural resources and sustainable practices to ensure these activities are here for others to enjoy for many generations. Cy's World has partnered with YMCA's Camp Thunderbird, Cumberland County's Ducks Unlimited, Hunter's Helping Kids and First Tee of the Triad, Winston-Salem on various events aimed at getting kids up and moving. To honor Justin, the family also set up two schol- arships with the Cumberland Community Founda- tion. "The first one is Justin Richard Lopes Univer- sity of South Carolina award," said Donna. "It was created for a graduating senior from a Cumberland County high school who will attend the University of South Carolina. The second, the Justin Richard Lopes soccer award, was created in celebration of Justin's joy and energy on and off the soccer field for lettered members of the varsity boys soccer team at Terry Sanford high school." The scholarships have been awarded every year since their inception, Donna added. The run also supports Water Step, which is a nonprofit organization that provides safe water to communities in developing countries. Based on simple tools and effective training, the organiza- tion trains people how to use safe water solutions: water purification, health education and well repair, empowering communities to take care of their own water needs for years. Donna added that they are also accepting gently worn athletic shoes for Water Step. Learn more about Water Step at www.waterstep.org. To register for The Derby Run, visit active.com and type The Derby Run into the search bar. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Associate Publisher. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. To honor Justin, the family set up two scholarships with the Cumberland Community Foundation.