June 13, 2008
Emmie Yeiter, a 2008 graduate of Gold Beach High School (GBHS), turned her senior project – a 3-mile “Have a Heart” Beach-Side Run – into pure gold for both the Curry Health Foundation and the Curry General Hospital.
Yeiter presented Jean Murphy, the Coordinator of Curry Health Foundation, with checks and cash amounting to $274, collected through entry fees and donations for the hospital.
Jerry Ross is the teacher of the Senior Seminar, a class that requires seniors to pick a project that will show the value of giving back to the community, while incorporating some practical application of their chosen field. At the time of the projects, Emmie’s plan was to pursue a career in Physical Training, so she chose a 3-mile run by the ocean.
Emmie wanted to do a race because her parents were both runners in their younger years, and she also wanted a special project that would encourage the interactive participation of the people of the community while making use of the beautiful natural setting of beaches, sun and wind. A race seemed to satisfy each and every one of these factors.
The race helped her to hone her organizational skills as she planned what kind of an event it would be, where it would be held, what the course would be, how much she would charge; what she would offer as incentive for people to enter; what kind of prizes would be offered; and how she would get the word out. She learned to prioritize by working backwards from the day of the race.
Her course was a 3-mile run at Otter Point. She talked with KURY Radio who gave her a free Public Service announcement to help advertise the day; and Emmie, her mother and friends from softball distributed flyers for the event. On race day signs and arrows were needed to point the course way, and she recruited friends to direct traffic making sure no one got lost.
The race was held on April 15 at Otter Point. Thirty five entrants participated in the very successful event with Hap Flynn coming in first with a time of 25:50. The response from the runners was positive, with many participants saying they would do it again. The project was a great success.
In donating the money to Curry Health Foundation, Yeiter has requested that the proceeds from the run be used in support of healthcare at Curry General Hospital. On behalf of the members of the Foundation Board of Directors, the Coordinator thanked Miss Yeiter and stated that our community is lucky to have such selfless, dedicated young people, and wished her well with her plans to attend Oregon State University this fall and in the study of pediatrics.
