Big group turns out for run/memory walk at Browns

Photos by Tom Rivers
WATERPORT – The runners take off at the start of the Brown’s 5K Cross Country Run and Memory Walk. Eric Boyce of Bergen, number 360, won the race in a time of 16:25 and Dana Phillips of Lyndonville, number 380, was the first woman to finish with a time of 21:17.

There were 140 participants in the run and walk, which covered 3.1 miles at the fruit farm owned by the Brown family. That nearly doubled the participants from last year.

Runners head down a lane at the beginning of the race, which went through orchards, a wooded area and along a corn field.

Tom Smith of Albion won the 50-59 age group. He also led a “Run for God” training program to get people ready for the race.

Kate Krieger, left, and Sienna Garcia Mathewson hand out water to runners, including John Steier.

The race was dedicated to the memory of Joyce Harris, a former Carlton Town Board member and active community booster. Many of her friends wore “Ya Ya” shirts in her memory.

David Cristofaro finishes the race in memory of his mother, Judy Christopher.

Some members of the Churchville-Chili cross country team present a quilt made from past Brown’s 5K T-shirts to Margy Brown, the race organizer for all 20 of the events. Brown has put on the events as a fund-raiser for Hospice of Orleans. The first 19 races/walks raised $35,000 for Hospice. Proceeds from today aren’t tallied yet.

Paul Glor, coach of the cross country team, has run the last 13 races and won several of them. He used his past race T-shirts for the quilt.

Margy Brown and her son Jeffrey, right of quilt, are pictured with Paul Glor, left, and the Ruhland siblings, who run cross country at Churchville-Chili. Their mother made the quilt. The siblings include, from left: Matthew (in back), Ian, Elizabeth and Genevieve, far right.

Glor and the team created the quilt for Margy Brown for her commitment to the race for two decades.

Brown’s Berry Patch looks a lot different without the playground, swing set, the Jumping Pillow and other popular attractions. The family decided to retire from the retail side of their business this year.

They remain an active fruit farm, and are committed to helping Hospice.