On October 1, 2011, 600 members from the Stuttgart Army Garrison community met on Patch Barracks to take part in the community's second Run for Life.
The event is designed to raise Cancer awareness, support community members currently suffering with the disease, remember those claimed by it and show that Cancer can be beat.
Liz Cruickshank organized the first Stuttgart community Run for Life when she transferred to Stuttgart with her husband following a diagnosis of Cancer in 2008. "In the States there's Relay for Life, and being a newly diagnosed Cancer patient, I wanted to start some form of awareness event here," said Cruickshank.
Of the 600 participants, 27 wore black Tee shirts with the words "cancer warrior" in yellow lettering. These community members survived the cancer that they were diagnosed with. "We call them cancer warriors because you never know when your diagnosis can return, and you may have to engage in the fight all over again" said Cruickshank.
Cruickshank said the cancer warriors provide strength for others fighting the disease. "It shows everyone out there that you can beat this disease. It inspires you when you see a 20 year survivor. Some people have been diagnosed two or three times and they show that you can come out on the other side and survive the diagnosis."
The event consisted of 16 teams. Participants who didn't belong to a team contributed laps to the individual lap total. The Stuttgart community completed 6,367 laps during the event, an estimated distance of 2,122 miles, which is roughly the distance from Washington D.C. to the Grand Canyon.
The "Strength in Numbers" award, given to the team with the most members, went to the 43-person team, "You Are Not Alone".
The "Endurance" award was a battle of the sexes at Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW). "NSW's Pink Platoon" with 1,086 laps narrowly edged out the men's team "Feeling Froggy" who posted 1,084 laps. The Pink Platoon, made up of female military members and female spouses from NSW won the laps title as well as a breakfast made by the men.
The event also featured a live DJ, music performers, a children's dance team and food sales by Stuttgart community groups. The Patch High School cheerleaders and mascot appeared at the event and helped hand out the sticks used to track the runners' laps. Boys and girls from the Stuttgart scouting community also helped to hand out lap counters and tracked lap progress throughout the event. Community volunteers helped set up and break down chairs tables and tents after the event.