By Mary Owen
The third annual fun run and walk honors the Lyons man who fought valiantly against cancer and lost.
“The first race we did was for Jeff Silbernagel,” said Crista Miller, who is chairing the run. “He was my neighbor and a mechanic. Jeff battled melanoma cancer. He didn’t have health insurance and had a lot of medical bills. He was also not working, so he didn’t have an income coming in. Sadly, Jeff passed away earlier this year.”
Miller and others have kept the run going, naming the run after Silbernagel. Miller and the Silbernagel family started a nonprofit called the Jeff Silbernagel Memorial Fund.
“The funds we raise will go to help people in our community and surrounding areas who are having hardships because of medical conditions,” said Miller, a massage therapist in Salem who grew up near Aumsville and now lives in Lyons with her husband, Steve.
This year’s recipient is Jamee Allen, 18, a recent Sprague High School graduate who was getting ready to go to college in Hawaii when she got the devastating news that she had bone cancer. Allen is being treated at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. Her mother, Miki, is also being treated for cancer.
Miller hopes to get 200 participants in the 3K and 5K Fun Run and Walk held Oct. 15 at John Neil Park in Lyons. Early registration is at 8 a.m., with the race starting at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $10.
Miller appreciates all the support she has gotten for the race, including the Stayton Road Runners. “I couldn’t do this event without them,” she said.
For information about the Jeff Silbernagel Memorial Run, call Miller at 503-580-4907.
