The 3rd annual Chris Craig Memorial 5K Run/Walk to benefit Mahomet-Seymour Schools, the Mahomet Parks and Recreation Department and the Carle Cancer Center will take place on October 4 at Elks Lodge at Lake of the Woods at 8:00 a.m.
Chris Craig passed away after battling kidney cancer in 2012. Since then, Chris’ wife, Amy and his three children, Jackson, Jama and Joshua have focused on keeping Chris’ giving spirit alive by implementing funds raised from the 5K into Champaign County.
“Our main focus has been to see how we can impact every kid in Mahomet through the schools,” Amy said.
With the money raised from the 2013 benefit, the Craigs donated money to support the Mahomet-Seymour FFA Ag Day program for first and second grade students in the spring and gave away three $500 scholarships to FFA or Industrial Tech students.
“That is a really cool experience because you give the scholarship away, and the kids don’t know they are getting it,” she said. “Those kids have all reached out to us since then to say thank you, and to tell us how much they appreciate it. Even though it’s only $500, it’s helped them pay for books. That has been really rewarding for both sides.”
Amy said her children also like to give away the scholarships because they get to know the FFA students throughout the year. She said Jackson has asked to present at the ceremony next year.
“They saw their dad, big in stature and personality, and they take that on, too,” Amy said.
Chris, who owned Main Street Fencing with Luke Turner, participated in the FFA and Industrial Tech program at MSHS. He was also a part of the football team during his high school years, and continued to compete at Joliet Junior College.
In July, the Craigs presented a $2,500 check to go towards improvements in the weight room in honor of Jim Risley, who was Chris’ coach and close family friend.
“Weighlighting had such an impact on his life because of the discipline and camaraderie he learned,” Amy said. “We wanted to give money to that because we know that potentially it could impact every kid in Mahomet-Seymour if they go into the weight room. If not, at least it will affect the kids going in there for sports. Football was so important to him.”
The team atmosphere that Chris enjoyed at MSHS was also evident at the Carle Cancer Center where he received infusions for his illness.
“It was more like a family when you go in there,” Amy said. “It’s different from being in the hospital. You make relationships with these people because you’re in there for the whole day. They take their jobs to heart. And it’s not an easy job. They see a lot of happy things, but they see a lot of sad things, too. They do not have an easy job whatsoever, and they give it their all to try to make every patient as comfortable as possible.”
Amy said she has seen other friends receive the same treatment as Chris received when he was there. The first year after Chris passed away, the Craigs donated $25,000 to the Carle Cancer Center. They have purchased new beds and headphones for the patients, and on Wednesday Amy transferred money over to the Center for the staff to make fleece blankets. Chris’ name is also on Room number 10 in the cancer treatment wing.
When Chris passed away, Amy told her children “that it was going to define our family, but it didn’t have to define us in a negative way, it could define us in a positive way. We can keep his memory alive by doing good things for other people.”
With the support of family, friends, teachers and coaches, the Craigs have felt overwhelmed with love. But when the kids see people they know at the 5K race or see Chris Craig Memorial 5K t-shirts around town, they glow.
“They know they have the support of everybody, but to see that, it just makes a huge difference,” Amy said. “Because they’ve been through so much, I think they realize nothing can really bring them down. They’ve been through one of the worst things a child can ever go through, so that makes them that much stronger.”
The Craigs also plan to sponsor a team through the Mahomet Parks and Recreation Department with the money raised in 2014. Chris supported the MPRD programs through coaching his children. He also was a volunteer on the Cornbelt Fire Department, at Grace Church and served on the Mahomet Township board.
