In honor of their sons’ and daughters’ love for sports and the outdoors, the parents of the “Park City 5” are hosting a memorial
5K walk/run on Saturday, May 30. The entire community is invited to take part in a celebration of the students’ lives. The decision to host a 5K in honor of the five young people seemed like a natural fit, says Ellen Knell, mother of Erica Knell. The kids shared a passion for sports that played an important role in each of their lives. Erica was a competitive aerialist and dancer Chris was a skiing and climbing enthusiast and was one test away from earning his black belt in karate Matt was a gifted soccer player and skier Connie was a talented equestrian and aficionado of all things outdoors and Mike loved playing water polo, skiing and racing cars. The 5K for 5KIDS will start at Dozier Field at Park City High School at 9 a.m. and follow the Park Meadows loop. Check-in and registration begins at 8 a.m. The cost is $20 in advance and $25 the day of the race. Preregistration is open until 8 p.m. the night before the race at www.parkcity5.blogspot.com. Walkers/runners may enter the race as individuals or as teams of four to six people. Awards will be given to the three The 5K is scheduled the same day as the Park City High School prom, and students are encouraged to make a day out of the events and come together in support of the student community. At the start of the race, runners will be invited to sign individual banners honoring the five kids. The finished banners will be placed at the end of the course as an emblem of how many lives that Erica, Chris, Matt, Connie and Mike touched. “You never know how big of an impact your life has,” says Kelly Yeates, mother of Chris Yeates. “The biggest fear for all of us is that our kids will be forgotten.”
“We are blown away by all the support from the high school and the community,” adds Knell. “And I know the kids would be blown away as well.”