Hi gang. I’ve been getting a lot of nice feedback from many people in regards to my 2014 Wings For Life World Run (Sunrise, FL) review. This event touched a lot of people and I’m entirely gratified to know I did some small part in getting the word out and encouraging people to get involved throughout the next year.

What I did not expect was the following email from Mike Ryan, our local Sunrise mayor! I asked him if I could repost it here, to which he graciously agreed:

I had the opportunity to read your blog post on the Wings for Life World Run.  I thoroughly enjoyed your account of the pre-race, race and post race events and feelings.  I think you ost summed up incredibly well the ambivalence regarding weather and a catcher car.  Well done!

I also participated in the Wings for Life World Run and thought it was a fantastic event on so many different levels.  Most of the events in which I have participated in the past were dedicated to good and important causes.  Each meant something to me on some level (even if it was just that I got out of bed and made it to the start line).  However, this event was particularly special in that we all knew we were running for those who can’t (yet).  Each step was something precious (though some steps felt not so priceless).

Every event in the past also had the final step across a finish line, which I could see in the distance and which motivated that strange burst of energy even when the time was less than projected.  No matter, it was predictably over plus or minus a measure of time.  Here, time and distance was hunting us.  While I was concerned how I would feel being “caught” in this race, all the potential deflated feelings of having the “tiger” catch me washed away when greeted at the finish line by those for whom we were running.  They graciously placed a brilliantly designed medal around our necks and immediately reminded us of the reason we got up so early and ran so hard.  Some were people I knew from our own HealthSouth Spinal Cord Injury Support Group and Sunrise Suns (professional) wheelchair basketball team!

Congratulations on your run and accomplishment (as well as setting a goal for next year).  I look forward to seeing you out there next year.  If you don’t mind, I am sharing your post with my colleagues on the City Commission.

Best regards,

Mike Ryan
Mayor, City of Sunrise

It’s not a done deal that the race will be returning to Sunrise… yet. I’ve communicated with Mike since this email, and hosting the event seems to be something towards which the city of Sunrise is really pushing. It took a lot of time, coordination, and resources to pull off an event of this size, but it totally went off without a hitch. We proved that we could do it. So I really hope the Wings For Life World Run organization decides to return to Sunrise next year (May 3rd, 2015, in case you’re wondering). We’re good people! Even the guy across the lake who decided to show off his new sound-system at 11:45 PM on a school night last month. Grr… well anyway, type at ya later, gang. Here’s the video.