PERU — Young Jonathan Evans had everything going for him.
An outstanding student, he skipped 6th grade to take on the more challenging duties of a 7th-grade schedule.
He was a fine musician, playing both the trumpet and piano and winning an award from Peru Central School as the best new musician.
And he excelled in sports, starring in soccer and wrestling and capturing the league championship on Peru's modified cross-country squad.
With his best years ahead of him, Jon had a bright future. But life does not always work according to plan, and Jon's multitude of triumphs were suddenly replaced by the ultimate tragedy when he developed a rare form of cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, at age 13 in 1991.
He died a year later.
"He had been working out one day and showed me a lump on his arm," said Jon's father, Don Evans. "I thought he had probably pulled a muscle, but it didn't look quite right. We brought him in (to see the doctor) that day and were told that day that he had cancer."
Memorial FUND
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rapidly growing, highly malignant tumor that originates in developing skeletal muscle cells in children.
Jon and his parents began an immediate treatment program, turning their attention from the everyday activities of a growing youngster to a battle against an overwhelming opponent.
At the same time, friends from the Peru community looked for a way to add their support to the family.
"Don and Shirley had good health insurance, but whenever you have a sick child, there are always other expenses that can add up quickly, said Scott Woodward, who has been helping to coordinate the Run for Jon fundraising event for the past two decades.
"Mark Elmore and I conceived this idea as a way to help when Jon was first diagnosed, and it has grown into something much bigger," he added. "It's taken on this incredible life of its own and has become a tremendous event for the people."
One of Jonathan's favorite pastimes was distance running, and he often enjoyed running in the nearby apple orchard owned by Virgil Forrence.
"Virgil was wonderful in helping us organize this first run,� Woodward said. "He let us use the property and accommodated us with anything we needed, and the Forrence family has continued that support."
Race organizers thought they'd have maybe 75 participants that first year. In reality, more than 150 signed up for the 2.5-mile run.
Jon lost his battle against cancer two weeks before the following year's run, but organizers decided to move ahead with the event, and it has remained a staple in the community ever since.
"I try to remind everyone before the run, especially the younger kids, that Jon was a healthy, vigorous 14-year-old boy who ran like they do," Woodward said of his desire to keep Jon's memory alive through the actions of the community.
With the money raised by the event over the years, the Evans family has created the Jonathan Evans Memorial Fund, designed to help North Country families with traveling expenses connected to the care and treatment of a sick child.
"It's not for medical expenses but to help parents with all those other costs that mount up when you're traveling out of the area for health care," Don said.
BALLOON RELEASE
Organizers have collected more than $50,000 from the annual event and have provided more than half of that to families in need.
Don recalled one of the first recipients of support from the Jonathan Evans Memorial Fund, whose son had a heart condition. Three weeks after he received the money, the father showed up at the Evans household with the tragic news that his son had died.
In his hand, the man had an envelop with the money he'd received from the fund along with additional money as a contribution.
"The thing we're proud of is that this was the first run in the area that was used to raise money for something like this," Don said. "It's meant a lot to us to be able to support others who have to go through this."
"The other nice aspect is that it is a good balance between highly competitive runners and people who just want to participate," Woodward added.
Many of the participants have enjoyed tremendous success as distance runners in competitive events, he noted.
This year, the 20th anniversary event will include a special Run for Jon T-shirt that lists the names of all previous winners in both men's and women's categories. Festivities will also include a balloon release prior to the race with notes identifying the Run for Jon and asking people to support the cause.
Don has participated in some of the runs but admits that he becomes too emotional and would rather support the other runners as a cheerleader. Jon's siblings, Jeremy, Johanna and Jennifer, all take part.
When Jon would run, he always looked at taking the lead in the race and then would not look back at his competition. And so "Don't Look Back" became the prevailing theme of the run, one that has brought the community together as it continues his battle and his dreams.
E-mail Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com
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