In may of 2017, we drove down to Salem and worked as photographers for the Awesome 3000, a fun-run event for kids, and a great fundraiser for the Salem-Keiser school system. This was our sixth year working the event! Here’s proof: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. (We were out of town for 2016.) Of course, this is nothing compared to Grandpa Chuck, who was there this year for the 23rd time, and his firm has sponsored the event for 30 years.

The event runs all morning and part of the afternoon, and includes races of appropriate lengths for high-schoolers all the way down to pre-schoolers. The kids have a ton of fun, and the weather was perfect for an outdoor event. There’s also a village full of activities and food put on by the event sponsors. Ty, Lucy, Chuck, and Chuck’s superb neighbor Al all worked the finish line, handing out medals.

After spending most of the day behind a camera, I even got to run a 300-meter with my nephew Ty! Oh, and that mark you see by his right eye? Yeah, that was me being careless putting my camera back on my belt holster. He forgave me, but I’m not sure I’ve forgiven myself yet.