Yesterday, I had the privilege of taking part in the 3rd Annual John Galo 5k over at Lester Park.

John was a great guy with an uncanny sense of humor. He was also a co-worker of mine. I would see him throughout the building, but ran into him the most in our fitness center.

We would chat about many different topics – however, his favorite thing to talk about was sports. John was a huge UMD Bulldog and Minnesota Vikings fan (his office was painted purple!). He always wanted the latest intel regarding UMD hockey recruits, or whether so-and-so would leave early. Unfortunately for him, he often knew more than I did 🙂

John had a heart attack while running on the treadmill at work and never recovered. This 5k is a fundraiser in his honor, with all proceeds going to the Amberwing of Duluth.

I miss seeing him in the locker room at work, and a great way to pay tribute to him is to run this 5k. And judging by the number of people who showed up to run a challenging 5k through the woods, I’m not the only one who misses him!

Thanks to everyone who helped make this event a possibility! John would be proud.