Robert Gary Ingram
June 9, 2008
Marilyn Chapman Moore
June 11, 2008The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council for South Louisiana (ADAC) is sponsoring its first annual Amanda Larpenter Memorial Run/Walk. The two-mile race is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 26.
The event will be held – rain or shine – at Jim Bowie Park, near Southern Oaks Golf Course. Registration begins at 7 a.m., with the actual run/walk starting at 8 a.m.
Larpenter was a 22-year-old student at Nicholls State majoring in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. On July 22, 2007, while driving home from work, Larpenter was hit by a 19-year-old drunken driver. Larpenter died from her injuries.
Alicia Toups, executive director of the ADAC, said the event is being held to raise awareness about drunken driving and to help others learn from the tragedy Larpenter’s family experienced.
“It’s basically to bring awareness about things we fight every day like alcohol use,” Toups said. “When we approached her (Larpenter’s) family about it, they were in full agreement.”
However, this is not the first time ADAC sponsored an event like this.
“ADAC did a run years back and they did it for 10 years,” Larpenter said. “It was the Jody Andre Memorial Run. After 10 years, Jody’s parents decided that they had finished what they were trying to do and there was a year or so where there wasn’t a run. I’m new and I wanted to start it back up, so we approached the Larpenter family and asked to be able to do it using Amanda.”
While it is impossible to guess how many people will participate, Toups said she estimates anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people will show up for the event.
The memorial run/walk is open to the public. Anyone who pre-registers before July 1 pays $15 per person. Family rates are available up to a family of five for a cost of $72.
The event will accommodate all ages, Toups said. There will be a space walk, live music, games, free food, non-alcoholic drinks, door prizes and a raffle. Awards will be given to the top three overall male and female finishers (runners and walkers) and top finishers in the following categories: four and under, five to nine, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-plus.
A portion of the proceeds will go toward establishing The Amanda Larpenter Memorial Scholarship.
With the event less than a month away, Toups said ADAC is still looking for corporate sponsors at all of the following levels: Platinum ($4,000), Gold ($3,000), Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500). Each sponsorship includes complimentary T-shirts displaying each sponsor’s logo, complimentary event passes and tickets for giveaways.
Anyone interested in participating in the event or being a sponsor can contact Alicia Toups at (985) 855-0006, Cindy Larpenter at (985) 855-1463 or Captain Greg Hood at (985) 873-6301.
