On Aug. 28 of 2021 Jarred Carter passed away following a bout with COVID-19. His legacy, however, continues with the first Anchor of Hope Race on March 2.
“The why the race was created, truly, because we not only wanted to find another way to honor Jarred’s life and keep his spirit alive in our lives,” said his wife, Lindsey Carter, founder of the JS Carter Foundation. “We also wanted to have a way to bless children who have also lost a parent.
“Grieving the loss of a parent is a really long journey for a young child. We want to support them, give them some joy, create an event for friends and families to come together remembering a lost loved one, for the community to unite and to point glory to our Lord and Savior, the ones who bring us hope in the darkness of grief. Hence the name, Anchor of Hope.”
Jarred left behind four children, Audrey (age 11), Haley (9), Savannah (8) and Rhett (6).
The race will feature divisions of 10K, 5K and a 1-mile Fun Run. The Fun Run begins at 8 a.m., with the longer distances getting underway at 8:30. Registration is $35 for the 10K and 5K, and $25 for the Fun run.
The race begins and ends at First Baptist Church, Midlothian, 1651 Midlothian Pkwy.
All proceeds from the race will go towards scholarships for kids, including summer camps, sports dues, dance tuition, lessons or college books for those older kids.
“As a young (36 years old) widow with four kids under age 9 at the time of his death, I was devastated, broken and experiencing so much pain, not only trying to grieve and survive without him – and now a single mother – I also was having to carry the grief and pain for our children,” Lindsey said. “They couldn’t process it all, but the effects of his passing were and are still tremendous.
“I was very fortunate to have a strong group of friends who came together and loved and supported my family – and still do – but the daily life activities and sports that kids do is a lot to keep up with when you’ve lost a parent.
“So we found it vital to find a way to help kids keep moving forward, doing things that bring them joy and having fun.”
As for the name of the race, Lindsey explained, “We put emphasis on our trust in the Lord and allowing Him to be our stronghold and anchor of hope through all of life’s tragedies and hardships. The Bible says in Hebrews 6:19 ‘We have this hope as an anchor for our soul.'”
Early registration by Feb. 13 guarantees participants a T-shirt. Visit https://www.adventuresignup.com/Race/TX/Midlothian/AnchorOfHope.
