The Red Key Athlete Honor Society will host the first Elizabeth Garrett Memorial 5K: A Moment of Grace at Cornell Plantations next Sunday.
The event was originally planned to raise funds and generate awareness for colon cancer after Garrett was diagnosed in the fall, but then became a memorial event after her death on from the disease on March 6, according to the University.
“This event is meant to be a celebration of life, not just a memorial service,” said Olivia Wherry ’16, one of the organizers of the event and co-captain of the women’s squash team.
The theme of the event, “A Moment of Grace,” is derived from a speech Garrett gave to student-athletes at an orientation event in September, according to the University.
“I think that as we win and as we compete on all the sports fields, what we need to exemplify is grace,” Garrett told them. “Grace is an old-fashioned word, a word that you don’t hear very much anymore, but to me it suggests an elegance, a finesse, a humility and indeed, a sense of honor.”
All proceeds from the event will go to support the President Elizabeth Garrett Fund for Colon Cancer Research and student scholarships, according to the University.
“President Garrett motivated each and every one of us to be the best version of ourselves,” Wherry said. “It felt important to honor her with an event put together by the students.”