October 4, 2007
UW staffer to run Seattle Marathon in memory of mentor
By Gene Woodard
Facilities Services
Gene Woodard, director of the Custodial Service Division of UW Facilities Services, is training for the UW Medical Center Seattle Marathon which will be held Sunday, Nov. 25. Here he shares his motivation for running.
It has been 15 years since I felt motivated enough to spend the time pounding the pavement preparing to run a marathon. Despite being a regular distance runner, I put the marathon off year after year. Why am I running a marathon again now?
For the 1992 marathon I was being coached and encouraged by a very close friend, Charles Barone, who had run 24 marathons. He was like an older brother and shared his wisdom about running — and life — with me during our Saturday morning runs together. Approximately three years ago, Charles was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cell that is incurable, but treatable. Charles underwent treatment at UW Medical Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He fought the disease with the same tenacity he displayed as a runner, but could not have done so without the supportive UWMC staff. The care that Charles received from the doctors and nurses lifted his spirits. He had a great relationship with all of his caregivers and enjoyed greeting them in their native languages. Charles’ family really appreciated that they were allowed to be with him at any time, and the caregivers were very accommodating, giving them blankets and asking if they wanted to share mealtimes with him. On Charles’ bad days, when he felt his worst, the staff always assured him that they had seen worse situations and that they were there for him. Charles passed away due to multiple myeloma in May of this year at the age of 70.
I am running a marathon again now to honor my friend, and as a way to thank the marathon’s major sponsor, UWMC, for the outstanding care they gave Charles.
I recruited two other UW colleagues to run with me: Assistant Police Chief Ray Wittmier and Facilities Services Equipment Technician Marian Olech. It takes a lot of time to prepare to run 26 miles, and I can imagine that it takes a lot of volunteers to ensure that the event operates smoothly — you can volunteer to help.
To learn more about volunteer and training opportunities, visit www.seattlemarathon.org or call 206-729-3660.
