Event battles public complacency
Race against fear establishes legacy
By Dorothy Paul, Contributing Writer
University students and friends and family of Charlotte Murray Pace met at the Parade Ground on Saturday for the 5K Race Against Fear.
“She would have done the same for me,” said Grace Rumbly, who coordinated the race with Lauren Gardes.
Rumbly said the scholarship fund has about $40,000, but it needs $75,000 before it can be considered a fully-funded scholarship.
She said she and Pace’s family and friends organized the race not only to raise money but also to maintain public awareness about Pace’s death.
They hold rallies on the steps of the State Capitol one Sunday each month to maintain awareness. Speakers meet to update the public on investigative findings and to remind the community the killer has not been caught.
They tell the public not to become complacent and assume the killer has left town or no longer is a threat. The next scheduled rally will be held next Sunday at 4:00 pm.
To participate in the race, runners and walkers donated at least $15. Organizers sold commemorative T-shirts with “Murray Matters, 6/28/79 – 5/31/02” emblazoned across the front.
Gardes, who donated the trophies for the winners, said she was pleased with the turnout of nearly fifty racers.
“I could have run anywhere, but this was for a good cause,” said Andrew Simpson, a biological sciences sophomore who came in first place, with a time of 20:10. He said he heard about the race and decided to attend because he tries to keep involved with running.
Jill Roby, a graduate of the MBA program and a friend of a friend Pace, said she came to walk the race to support her friend and contribute to the scholarship fund.
“Murray would’ve beaten all of us,” said Josh Harvey, a senior in the LSU MBA program.
Pace’s friends came from as far as Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., where she earned an undergraduate degree.
They are trying hard to do what her mother, Ann Pace, wants — to create a legacy for her daughter, as she was unable to create one for herself.