Running a 5K can seem like a daunting task to many people, but for Ethan Widrig ’20 it has become part of a daily routine.
Widrig created his 100 Days of 5Ks campaign to raise support and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). He started the campaign on Aug. 26 and is scheduled to go until Dec. 3, spanning the whole fall semester. As of press time, Widrig has completed 24 days of 5Ks, almost a quarter of his campaign.
Olivia O’Reilly ’20, a friend and supporter of Widrig, said the campaign is merely Widrig practicing what he preaches.
“One of his favorite phrases is ‘buy into the things you want to participate in’,” O’Reilly said.
Widrig’s goal for the campaign is to raise $2,000. As of press time, he has raised $350.
The cause for the campaign hits close to home for Widrig. His grandmother, who he called Grandma June, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease for most of Widrig’s life and passed away when he was a junior in high school. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills, eventually making simple tasks impossible, according to the National Institute on Aging.
“The hardest part with Alzheimer’s is normally with people, when people pass away, they’re here and they’re gone,” Widrig said. “With Alzheimer’s you have to kind of watch them erode away, just forget stuff, and have a hard time functioning.”
In the beginning, there were moments where Widrig and his family could make light of Grandma June’s diagnosis. Every week, the family would take her out to the same restaurant. Grandma June would look over the menu and think about what she would get every week and ask everyone else what they were getting.
“Then she’d be like, ‘You know what I’m in the mood for? A big ‘ole juicy hamburger,’” Widrig said. “She’d say that every time so it was kind of funny.”
There were also times when, even in a setting like a hospital, Widrig said, little bits of Grandma June’s memory would shine through to let the family know she was still with them, physically and mentally. While in the hospital and despite her trouble with forming sentences, Grandma June managed to talk about her late husband with her son, Widrig’s father. She hadn’t mentioned him in, at that time, six to seven years.
“That was kind of incredible that she just talked about him a little bit with my dad,” Widrig said.
As of press time, Widrig is almost a quarter of the way through his campaign.
By the end of the campaign, Widrig is expected to run 500 kilometers, or 310 miles. Just thinking about a 5K is enough to tire some, but Widrig said he is hoping to use that to his advantage.
“I figured that would show my dedication to the cause and maybe it would give enough time to get people involved in it,” Widrig said.
The idea for Alzheimer’s awareness has been something Widrig has wanted to bring to life since last semester. Originally, Widrig said he wanted to have an organized 5K whose proceeds would be donated to Alzheimer’s research. While the organized 5K is still a goal for Widrig, his 100 day campaign was something he could organize for just him and his friends.
Day or night, Widrig maintains his determination to complete his daily 5K. Even if that means running in the middle of the night, his friends are right there with him.
“It’s really inspiring because I was out there one time at 12 in the morning and he was running,” said Bea Tomale ’21, a friend and supporter of Widrig.
Mike Soucy ’20, who has known Widrig since high school, has participated in some of the daily 5Ks. Soucy said he feels that while a lot of people know what Alzheimer’s is, Widrig’s campaign is making people think about it more.
“I just think it’s really cool that he’s doing it and it’s bringing awareness to something that we all know about, but may look past,” Soucy said.
O’Reilly, who is currently working on being able to run a 5K with Widrig, said she feels that her work towards a 5K reminds her just how hard Widrig’s campaign is.
“A normal person shouldn’t be able to do that, but his passion for the project just pushes him to keep going every single day,” O’Reilly said.
Widrig said he also has plans to organize community walks so that those who are intimidated by or unable to run a 5K can still take part in the campaign. Additionally, Widrig said he has been contacted by Sigma Phi Epsilon and Phi Sigma Pi to schedule runs.
To Tomale, Widrig’s campaign is something to be amazed at, both for its mission and its inspiration.
“I’m just really impressed and amazed at his dedication because he’s so passionate about raising awareness and support for Alzhiemer’s,” Tomale said. “I know it comes from a very special place in his heart.”
For updates on Widrig’s campaign, follow @100days_of_5ks on Instagram.
