Bay Area runners to line up for Pat’s Run

 

San Jose, CA. (January 11, 2006) – San Jose will soon get a chance to remember one of its most inspiring natives. The Pat Tillman Foundation is organizing Pat's Run, a 4.2-mile running/walking event on April 30, to celebrate the life of former Bay Area resident Pat Tillman.

The event celebrates the life of Pat Tillman, a scholar-athlete who first earned Arizona's respect through his academic achievements and accomplishments as a football player for Arizona State University and the Arizona Cardinals. Pat graduated in three and a half years with a 3.97 grade-point average before being drafted by the Cardinals. His dominating defensive play resulted in a multi-million-dollar contract which he gave up to serve his country after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. People throughout the world mourned his 2004 death in Afghanistan.

Pat's Run offers a chance for everyone to take action in Pat's name by running or walking 4.2 miles. Participants eight years old and younger can test themselves in a .42-mile run. All the distances commemorate the number 42, which Pat wore during his days as an Arizona State University scholar-athlete. To register, go to www.patsrun.com on the Internet. Registration cost starts at $25.

The foundation held its first Pat's Run near ASU, Pat's alma mater, in April 2005. It drew more than 6,000 participants, a nearly unprecedented number for a first-year event. A second Annual Pat's Run in Tempe will be held April 15.

Proceeds from Pat's Run will benefit the Pat Tillman Foundation and its Leadership Through Action™ initiative at ASU. Leadership Through Action™ is the focus of the foundation's mission of creating responsible, civic-minded leaders in Tillman's mold. The Tillman family recognized the impact he had on the people of Arizona and wanted to create a lasting legacy for people inspired by his actions. The first group of Tillman Scholars began studying under Dr. Laura Burgis and Professor Mike Mokwa in the fall. Each year, officials from the foundation and ASU will select up to 15 Tillman Scholars for Leadership Through Action™.

About the Pat Tillman Foundation
The Tillman family created the Pat Tillman Foundation following his death in April 2004. The foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, is determined to carry Pat's legacy forward by inspiring people to make positive changes in themselves and in the world around them. To learn more about the foundation, visit its Web site at www.pattillmanfoundation.org.