Eagles Soar for Polk County Sheriff’s Charity 5k (aka Judd Jog)

On Saturday, April 28, Eagle Pharmacy was a Sheriff Level Sponsor of the Polk County Sheriff’s Charities, Inc sixth annual Judd Jog, benefiting the United Way. The Judd Jog is a 5K sponsored in part by local businesses helping a great cause.

I wasn’t planning on donating my Saturday morning to a work-related event.  However, I’m new to Eagle Pharmacy, and I figured I would go and support the runners. After I parked and wandered around, I approached a group of people standing together near a pedestrian bridge.  I saw Stacy Huss, Eagle Pharmacy’s Chief Revenue Officer, and Ryan Flynn, our Marketing Manager.  I realized they were waiting at the finish line for fellow Eagles.  A large digital clock marked the completion times. 

 

The small crowd at the finish line cheered and applauded as the gasping runners arrived.  Flynn stood ready with his phone to capture coworkers as they crossed the line.  He’d supported his friends at previous Judd Jogs.  He said he enjoyed being here to see their sense of accomplishment, their faces when “some of them beat their personal bests.” 

 

Mimi Davis, Chief Operations Officer, ran the 5K with her son Miles who’s twelve.  She said they walked some, too.  Walking part of the course hadn’t crossed my mind before.  “No,” she assured me.  “You don’t have to run the whole thing.” 

 

Sponsors had set up tables along a pathway between the finish line and the mock city street where first responders in training practiced at a staged crash.  I heard one instructor say, “Don’t worry about him.  He’s dead.”  Students huddled over one simulation dummy lying across the hood of a car and another on the pavement next to a wrecked motorcycle.

 

On the sponsors’ tables were advertisements, tchotchke, water.  At the Eagle table, Huss hoped to educate the attendees on Eagle Pharmacy, and the program offered between Eagle Pharmacy and pharmaceutical manufacturers delivering name-brand drugs to patients at affordable prices. 

 

Systems Administrator Daniel Rojas was proud to be the first Eagle across the finish line.  “I have never been able to run under 30 minutes, and I finished at 27:23.”

Michael Boykins is our Cloud Services Engineer.  Halfway through the race, tired, he thought he might start walking, but at about the same time in his headphones, his favorite workout song started playing, Eminem’s “Till I Collapse.” Boykin pumped his legs hard and kept pumping until he reached the finish line.  He would go home with a medal for second place.

 

Our Senior Applications Engineer was even more resourceful about finding a reason to dig a little deeper.  Matt Thurston said two guides toward the end of the course spotted a jogger who was their friend.  She was slightly ahead of Thurston.  “It’s less than a football field!” they shouted at her.  “Run!”  Thurston answered the command.  When he passed the woman, she picked up her pace, too. 

 

Human Resources Assistant Kellie Adams won a medal for third.  She said, “Feeling the support from my coworkers was incredible. I look forward to doing other events with Eagle Pharmacy.”

 

After the event was over and all the sponsor tables disassembled, I realized I work with some pretty great people.