Why We Run

For those of you who don’t know, Jim Hopkins was a beloved husband, devoted father and grandfather and dear friend to many who passed on March 17, 2023. Jim was a faithful, loving, funny, smart, selfless man. If you met him, you’re likely a better person for it! Jim was an avid beer drinker and a founding member of the Amalgamated Brew Inspectors, beer tasting club. Jim’s go-to birthday Facebook post to his friends was “I’ll Hoist a Pint Fer Ya!”. It is an uncanny coincidence that he passed on St. Patrick’s day, as if we needed one more excuse to hoist a pint fer him!

So why are we running a 5k to honor Jim? Jim loved to run. And he especially loved 5k races with his daughter, Brandy and son, John. But Jim wasn’t always a runner. Jim only started running 7 years before he passed. In fact, Jim shared that he didn’t consider himself a runner at all, it was more like “controlled falling”. Running was more than just exercise for Jim. It was a way for him to take control of his health and honor his dad. It was security that he could keep showing up for his family. It was a way to keep up with the younger guys on hunting trips. It was a way to connect with Brandy and John, get some flashy medals and have one more excuse to have some beer. Running was a symbol of Jim’s perseverance and determination.

Let’s all take a page out of Jim’s book and push through our “controlled fall”.

What’s with the monkey? Jim loved chimps, especially chimps doing human things. Anyone could simply show him a picture of a chimp making a silly face and he would crack up laughing. A classic go to for birthday cards would be the one with the silly chimp… guaranteed laughs.