Joe Goodfellow Memorial Race Back After One-Year Hiatus

Oct 10, 2013

Organizers of the Joe Goodfellow Memorial Race held the event at its usual location at the Hinchinbrooke Public School, although HPS officially closed it doors last June. The popular race took a hiatus last year, which was the result of a decision made at that time by some elementary school teachers at the Limestone District School Board to discontinue extra-curricular activities.

This year the race took place on Monday, October 7. Now in its twelfth year, it was named in honor of Joe Goodfellow, a student at Hinchinbrooke Public School who died tragically in a car accident in 2000 at the age of 19. It was founded by Dan Kimmerer, Joe’s cross-country coach at HPS, who initially set the event up as an invitational race in Joe’s memory. In its third year it became one of three qualifying races, (the Region 3 Meet) for the Limestone District School Board.

Anita Dannenberg, vice principal at James R. Henderson Public School in Kingston, who was on site Monday as one of the race organizers, said that more than 350 students from over 11 different schools took part. “It's been a great turn out and the race is a great way for kids to participate both independently and also as part of a team,” she said.

Six races took place throughout the day, with the runners who placed in the top 30 from each division qualifying to take part in the upcoming championship race at Fort Henry in Kingston. In the Atom girls race that I watched, three students from Loughborough Public School in Sydenham came out on top and placed in the top three in their division. They were, from left to right and in ranking order from first to third place, Siyerra Vandewal, her twin sister Olivya, and Lexa Shetler. One minor complaint from some was the rainy, cool weather and a bit of mud splash on the track, but for most of the young runners who took part it was a great day at the races. Congratulations to all of the runners who took part.