Grassroots 5K pays tribute to longtime Woodlands resident, TWHS Highstepper

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — This Saturday, May 21, members of The Woodlands running community and friends of a long-time Woodlands family will join together for the Second Annual Kristi’s 5K Scholarship Run at The Woodlands High School. Funds raised this weekend will benefit a trust and a yearly scholarship named in honor of Kristi Huerter-Herring’s, a Woodlands resident and former TWHS Highstepper who sadly lost her battle to stage-four breast cancer last year. Last year’s inaugural run raised $28,000.

Herring, well-known among The Woodlands’ running community, was a resident of The Township since 1974. A graduate of McCullough High School, she was a member of the high school’s renowned Highstepper team. After graduating from Louisiana State University, Kristi returned to The Woodlands and settled with her husband Chris and children Tristan and Skylar. She taught English in Conroe ISD for several years and coached the junior high school drill team before becoming an attorney at Insperity in Kingwood. A student scholarship is a fitting tribute for Kristi as education has always been important to her. Her mother, Marcheta Huerter, was also a teacher in Conroe ISD.

In 2010, Herring was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer. However, not wanting to be defined by this disease, she continued to run and be an active presence in the running community before being diagnosed in 2013 with bone cancer. This diagnosis and the subsequent chemotherapy treatments stopped her from running.

Not willing to let a diagnosis stop her, Kristi, who loved to dance and run, took her cancer fight public to create a grassroots event that the entire community, especially those with cancer, could rally around. And so, Kristi’s Annual 5K Scholarship Run was created by friends and family who wanted to honor Kristi’s legacy to the community.

Long-time friend Jennifer Breazeale said, “I feel that the run is such a great way to honor Kristi. She loved running and being a Highstepper.” When Kristi was healthy, she competed in numerous half and full marathons such as the Houston Marathon and The Woodlands Marathon.

The benefit begins with a kids run for ages 12 and under at 8 a.m., with the 5K following at 9 a.m. Participants start the 5K at The Woodlands High School before looping around Cochran’s Crossing to the back of the high school track.

Although online registration has closed, interested participants can still sign-up this Saturday at The Woodlands High School. The cost is $25 for the 5K and $10 for the one-mile kids’ run. Race-day registration is from 7 to 9 a.m. at the TWHS track.

For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, email Trista Tatsch at ttatsch@conroeisd.net or visit http://kristihuerter5k.wix.com/2016.

Area sponsors for this event include MD Anderson, Global Shop Solutions, Hughes & Cozad Orthodontics, First Choice Emergency Room, Chick-fil-A of Alden Bridge and Corporate Incentives, Inc.