Lockett Is Hartshorne Volunteer of the Year

What makes a Hartshorne Memorial Volunteer of the Year award winner stand out? Our club is lucky enough to have a number of excellent volunteers to nominate, but one thing that sets apart a Hartshorne Memorial winner is the way that he or she makes others want to volunteer! In fact, my own favorite anecdote about this year's volunteer of the year isn't even about Alan Lockett himself.

It was after the 1999 Moravia 5K: kind of hot, kind of humid. We were all waiting around afterwards for the awards, when I saw that the little kids' run was about to take place on the high school track.

Now if you have seen a lot of these "fun runs", you know that not every little kid necessarily has fun at them, despite the best intentions of the organizers. 400 meters can be really scary if you're only 4! What was so unusual about this particular kids' run was that it wasn't organized by the adults, but by the Moravia youngsters. Just at that age when most kids are really self-conscious and unwilling to get involved in non-peer-oriented activities, this particular group took the time and trouble to set up the littler kids' event, even running right along with the toddlers to make sure that EVERYBODY finished with a smile and a cheer. That last little girl across the finish line is surely always going to remember running hand-in-hand with "the big girls" in her track debut!

Anyway, that's the volunteer ethic that Alan Lockett has obviously instilled at the Moravia race he directs as a benefit for local sports programs for youth: it's all about learning to help other runners in the human race "go the distance." So I wasn't at all surprised to hear that Alan was the uncontested "front runner" for the Hartshorne award this year.

Alan reports that he was astonished and amused at the results of the vote: "Being awarded the Hartshorne Volunteer of the Year award truly is an honor of the highest degree because it means that the people whose friendship you cherish and opinion you value recognize that you are giving a little bit back to the cause that all are so committed to. BUT also -- ever since being snubbed by my high school senior prom court committee I've been dying to be voted best of SOMETHING. It took 26 years but it still feels good - SO THERE VESTAL HIGH SCHOOL!!!"

In explaining the reasoning behind the club's choice of this year's winner, president Lorrie Marnell pointed out that, "during the 2000 racing season Alan Lockett attended almost every event held by the Finger Lakes Runners Club, but not as a race participant. Alan, a talented runner in his own right, has given generously of his time, choosing to volunteer instead of running in many of our races. He helped out with whatever needed to be done and usually that involved being responsible for several tasks at once. He has been a strong asset to the Finger Lakes Runners Club and someone other race directors have come to depend on. Please take the time to congratulate our newest recipient of the Hartshorne Memorial Volunteer of the year award the next time you see him. He will be easy to find at any upcoming FLRC event: just ask for the man who does everything!" (And who makes others want to help too!)

-- Betsy Martens