“I am thrilled with the turnout we have had for today. The support that has been shown is just amazing,” said Kurt Beal, President of Compassion in Action.
On Sunday afternoon, Compassion in Action held the Blast From the Past fun run and a 5K run/walk benefit for the family of Jonah and Kaitlyn Sharp. The theme of the event was the 80s and approximately 50 people participated in the fun run and 172 participated in the 5K event.
“We have face painting, carnival games, a bake sale, and a cookout here today for everyone to enjoy,” said Beal.
This was the second year that Compassion in Action held an event. “Last year we had an event for Grant Reed and we also had an alumni basketball game with both boys and girls last spring with Clear Fork and Fredericktown at Fredericktown. We had a great turnout for both events,” said Vice President of Compassion in Action Kristine Lindeman.
Compassion in Action is a newly developed group that is established in the Butler, Bellville, and Fredericktown area. “We are in the process of trying to become a non-profit organization so we can tap into other resources that will help benefit people. We want to focus on helping people with those unexpected occurrences that happen in life,” said Lindeman.
The event was held to benefit Jonah, 9, and Kaitlyn Sharp, 2. Both children have physical disabilities with developmental delays. Compassion in Action knew the Sharp family through the community and reached out to them. “Jonah was in the neonatal intensive care unit for the first two weeks when he was born with breathing problems. He has low muscle tone and he has always been behind with development. He also suffers from seizures,” said Amber Sharp, mother of Kaitlyn and Jonah.
Kaitlyn, 2, suffers from low muscle tone, too. “Kaitlyn has had multiple tests performed and has seen a number of specialists. Our middle son, Myles, has no disabilities. Doctors have told us that they believe the problems could be genetic. We just had a genetic test called EXOME and we should have results in October,” said Amber Sharp.
“Jonah and Katilyn go to Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Mansfield once a week and they absolutely love it. It has helped them so much throughout this process. We are so amazed with the turnout here today,” said Amber Sharp.
Jonah and Katilyn’s father, Brad Sharp, shared how his family has become closer. “We have grown together and we pray a great deal. We really cherish our family time. Our parents have been great throughout this because they help us with babysitting and anything else that we may need. They have been there for us from the very beginning and we truly appreciate them. They love their grandbabies very much,” said Brad Sharp.
The winner of the 5K was Larry Greer with a time of 20:03
“We have grown together and we pray a great deal. We really cherish our family time,” said Brad Sharp.
