Students and community members will gather Saturday, March 12, 2016, for the 21st annual Rex Lee Run. The race honors Rex E. Lee, founding dean of BYU Law School and 10th president of Brigham Young University from 1989 to 1995, who died of cancer the following year.
Proceeds from the race will go to BYU’s Simmon Center for Cancer Research. Registration is available online, and costs $10 for the 1-K, $20 for the 5-K, and $30 for the 10-K until March 11 at 8:00 p.m. Day-of-race registration is also available with a $5 surcharge for the 5-K and 10-K. Law school students are encouraged to use #RexRun on their photos from the event. For more information and registration, visit: http://rexleerun.byu.edu.
The Rex Lee Run started in 1990 when BYU Law sponsored a one-time “Rex Lee 5-K Run for Cancer Research.” The run returned in 1996 after President Lee’s death when Lance K. Manning, ’97, a cancer survivor, founded the student Cancer Awareness Group and the club planned another 5-K to raise cancer awareness. The run is now in its 20th consecutive year.
There are two campaigns are involved. The “Honor a Cancer Fighter” campaign honors individuals in the community that are battling or have battled cancer. Runners and non-runners alike can participate in the campaign by submitting the name of a loved one fighting cancer. It will be printed on a small placard for a runner to wear during the race. Runners may either wear a name they have submitted or a name submitted by a member of the community. A ten dollar donation is requested for each name honored, and the placard is returned to the donor after the race as a keepsake.
The run also features a “Runners Remember” campaign. Runners and volunteers can share the stories that drive them to participate by emailing them to rexleerun@byu.edu or posting to social media using #RexLeeRun.
There are other ways to participate. In addition to the campaigns, interested persons may volunteer to help before, during, or after the race. Those looking to volunteer should sign up to receive an assignment by visiting https://rexleerun.byu.edu/volunteer. Donations are another way to help, and can be made at https://rexleerun.byu.edu/donations.