4th Annual Team Ian Event: Keegan’s Run
November 1, 2014
More than 42 cross country and track athletes and a great deal of other individuals came out for the 4th annual Team Ian event on Nov 1st. Runners sped faithfully through 28 mph winds in memory of Ian Alves, a former patient of cancer, and to help in Team Ian’s support for the Children’s Oncology Group.
This year, the cross country team decided to not only donate the funds from the run to the two Team Ian scholarship funds, but also to senior Keegan Cronin who beat his battle with cancer.
“The cross country team [is] the biggest part of team Ian,” Alves’ mother, Lise Alves, said. “I was so happy to see that [the run] was happening again and that we could help somebody else and that Ian’s memory is going on.”
Cronin appreciated the cross country team’s support for him and all that participated in the run, but instead of using the donations for his hospital bills, Cronin said he hopes to donate it somewhere else.
“I really don’t see myself as needing any [donations] anymore, but I feel like I could give it back to the community in someway and donate it,” Cronin said.
As Alves’ former teammate, senior cross country captain Andrea Milbrath has ran in Ian’s Run every year and will continue to come back even after she graduates for as long as the event continues. Today, Milbrath sported a blue jacket, Alves’ favorite color.
“He is always in the back of my mind through everything and it’s nice to have something like this to remember him,” Milbrath said.
Cross country coach Brad Amundson said he is continually inspired by Alves, and that as long as people sign up for Ian’s Run, the cross country team will continue hosting it.
“He’s still one of the toughest kids that I have ever had the privilege of coaching, just his strength and his endurance through his battle through cancer and his battle before cancer, his ability to look at the positive no matter what,” Amundson said. “I think it’s evident as a Packer, it goes with everything that it is to be a West Fargo Packer and be a part of this family.”
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