Twenty-six for Sandy Hook

On December 12 of last year, twenty students and six staff members were shot at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut. It was the second deadliest mass murder and school shooting in America's history. It's amazing to think that one day this will be read in history textbooks. Reading the details of the horrific event makes the stomach turn, but it is in times of sadness and loss that Americans tend to band together to help those in need.

Obama appeared on television that afternoon telling Americans: "We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics." Come together we did. Concerts were held across the US, with all of the proceeds going directly to Sandy Hook Elementary. Thousands of teddy bears were sent to the remaining students of the Connecticut grade school.

On the other side of the country, in Southern California, Santa Barbara Running Company hosted a benefit run/walk for the Sandy Hook School Support Fund (https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/). On a chilly, overcast Saturday morning, a group of 40 individuals braved the cold and came together for 26 minutes of walking, jogging and running; one minute for each victim of the shooting. Some participants walked their dogs, some sipped on coffee while catching up with old friends and others ran to the rhythm of the tunes coming out of their headphones. All of these individuals came together for one purpose: To help a neighbor in need, a neighbor who lives almost 3,000 miles away.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines community as a unified body of individuals. The people who showed up to the Sandy Hook Benefit Run/Walk were all unified with a desire to help another group of people in their time of need; this was truly an act of community. At the end of the 26-minute event, Santa Barbara Running Company raised $1,140 for the families and friends of the victims of the December 12th shooting.

Santa Barbara Running would like to thank each person who came out to help support the cause. Thank you to Handlebar Coffee who donated the delicious coffee that kept everyone warm, energized and caffeinated; as always, it was delicious. KEYT joined us at the beach to do a story on the event, so a big thank you also goes out to the station.

Our hearts go out to kids and teachers who were taken far too soon!