The 17th annual Race For Grace was a beautiful day to gather with 1,825 registrants, 322 volunteers and several hundred spectators to commemorate the life and love of Grace Elizabeth Ekis.
It was a beautiful day to celebrate an amazing milestone of collectively raising $2.1 million in 17 races, with race 17 garnering $175,000.
It was a beautiful day to reflect on how far we have come since the first race was held at Woodland Hills High School in December 2007, where Grace enjoyed the thoughtfully planned festivities. It was a beautiful day to recall early races held at Norwin High School, where the crowd has outgrown the original event space.
It was a beautiful day to welcome over 500 brand new participants. It was a beautiful day to soak in smiles of support, a sense of community, comradery between friends and strangers, and nods of encouragement to keep up the good work.
It was a beautiful day to say THANK YOU to everyone who ran, walked, raised funds, donated hair, volunteered, performed and turned awareness into action. We hope to see you on March 28, 2026, for the 18th Annual Race For Grace!
Ashley Metz Leax
North Huntingdon
The writer is race director of the Race For Grace.