Runners take off in the Hearts From Home Halloween 5K on Saturday, Oct. 31, in Winona Lake. Funds from the 5K will support Hearts From Home’s effort to send care packages to soldiers. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — People ran and walked for a good cause on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The Hearts From Home Halloween 5K raised money to provide care packages to soldiers.

Warsaw Community High School juniors Skylar Ashcraft and Kendall Hepler started the organization Hearts From Home. Ashcraft’s father is stationed in Afghanistan currently with the Army and has served for about 30 years.

The girls along with fellow WCHS junior Rachel McLane organized Saturday’s event, which also raised money for care packages intended for area first responders. The girls said they wanted to support them because of everything they’ve been through during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hepler shared before the 5K how medical workers have personally affected her family.

“About three years ago my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer and through our journey through fighting cancer I got the privilege to meet all of her doctors, nurses, oncologists and specialists,” she said. “Each and every one of her doctors would take the time to speak with us and answer all of our stupid questions. These people, they don’t just do their job helping the patients and making sure everything with them is OK – they have so much they do for the families and it is so greatly appreciated.”

“It was a really scary time in my life and I can honestly say I don’t think I would have made it through it without them,” she continued. “So I don’t really have the words to express how grateful I am for each and every one of our nurses, paramedics and anyone that works in the medical field. Today my mom is standing here with us because of you, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputy and former member of the Army Reserve Jim Smith also spoke. He shared about what care packages and letters mean to soldiers.

“So when you receive these care packages and this mail, you’re not home, but it’s almost kinda like you are,” said Smith. “The smells of the items that you receive and the magazines that you’re used to reading when you’re back home and the beef jerky and so on and so forth, the handwriting of your loved ones that wrote you the letters … In fact, that’s kind of how I watched my son kinda grow up the first 10 months of his life, by pictures and the letters of them telling me what he’s done today and so on.”

“It just kinda just gave you a little bit of hope and motivation to get you through,” he said of items he received.

As it was Halloween, participants in the 5K were allowed to dress up in costume if they chose to. Florencia Viera went as Sully from Monsters, Inc.

Larry Burkhart dressed as Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story.

From left: Richard, Christy and Gambit LaRue and Scott Perry pose for the camera. Gambit LaRue and Perry participated in the race through My Team Triumph, an organization whereby those with disabilities can ride in races pushed by volunteers.