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They say you don’t have to be an athlete to sprint, jog or stroll for 3.1 miles.
But it helps.
Given his prowess on the football field and baseball diamond, Killian Cavanaugh would have had no trouble completing a course of that distance in an event scheduled for July 27 in North Park.
As it stands, the seventh annual KILLIAN5K Run/Walk is dedicated to keeping his memory alive.
“He was just the best kid,” said his mother, Susan. “He was a blessing to have for as long as I did.”
Killian was a 20-year-old student at the University of Chicago when he suffered a febrile seizure, caused by a fever. An initial diagnosis failed to ascertain the severity of his condition, and he died on Dec. 9, 2017.
In his honor, Susan and her husband, Patrick, founded the Killian Cavanaugh Memorial Scholarship Fund, which this year provided $10,000 awards to a pair of student-athletes “who best exemplify Killian’s incredible qualities and spirit.” Because he was a 2016 graduate of Shady Side Academy, the Pine residents launched the program with an annual scholarship toward a student’s attending the private school in Fox Chapel.
Last year, they expanded the financial award to include a graduating senior at Pine-Richland High School. The first recipient was Ben Rishel — and for the Class of 2024, Cooper Zancosky.
Killian attended Pine-Richland schools for several years, and his sister, Vivian, is a graduate. She was in 11th grade when she lost her only sibling.
“She was looking at different schools, going to go play field hockey,” their mother recalled, “and it took me a while to get a hockey stick back in her hand. I cyberschooled her for the rest of her junior year, got her back for her senior year, and she was the captain of the field hockey team.”
Then, wanting “to finish what he started,” Vivian followed Killian in attending the University of Chicago.
“And she graduated last year,” Susan reported.
Vivian is among the many people who volunteer for the KILLIAN5K Run/Walk, which drew more than 500 participants in 2023.
This year’s event opens with a packet pickup from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. July 27 at the North Park Boathouse, 10301 Pearce Mill Road, McCandless. The race will begin at 9, and walkers will start the course immediately after.
Susan touts the event as “a fantastic day of fitness and fun,” with plenty of awards and giveaways, plus a post-race party suitable for all ages.
For her, each year’s KILLIAN5K Run/Walk represents a mix of emotions.
“It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, but it’s tough. I was in sales, and I love dealing with people. But I’m completely drained when it has to do with him, even seven years out. It’s so exhausting,” she said.
“But I just feel like he was robbed. He should be here.”
For details, visit www.killian5k.com.
Harry Funk is a TribLive news editor, specifically serving as editor of the Hampton, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine Creek and Bethel Park journals. A professional journalist since 1985, he joined TribLive in 2022. You can contact Harry at hfunk@triblive.com.
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