Running for ‘sixty-five roses’

Published 2:31 pm Saturday, November 11, 2017

Inspired by the stories of two individuals living with cystic fibrosis, three Windsor Elementary classes teamed up to host a “Sixty-Five Roses” 5K on Saturday at Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield. The event was named for a common mispronunciation of the disease among children who have it.

Classes involved in organizing the event included Hannah Miller’s and Nikki Foster’s fifth grade classes and Bryan Bridge’s fourth grade class. Miller’s class created a website for the event,, named for Hannah Goetz, the daughter of Windsor Elementary’s gym teacher, Holly Goetz. Hannah was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 2012.

Foster’s class made a flyer and brochure and Bridges’ class measured the park trail to come up with a five kilometer track, and made posters and benchmarks for the race.

Preparations for the event began shortly after Jillian Goodwin, 25, spoke to students in September during an assembly about her experience living with cystic fibrosis. Around the same time, they learned that Goetz’s daughter, currently in 10th grade, also had the disease.

“I’ve been admitted to the hospital 24 different times for one to two weeks each time,” Goodwin is quoted as having said to students during the assembly. “I’ve had IV lines in my arms more than 20 times for weeks at a time and visited the doctor for over 200 visits. I’ve been given a feeding tube and an insulin pump.

“I’ve taken 73,000 vitamin pills, 109,000 enzyme pills, 200,000 doses of insulin through a machine, 16,000 PediaSure cans through a feeding tube to help gain weight, 29,000 breathing treatments, and 3,600 hours hooked up to vest machine that shakes my lungs and breaks up my mucus in my lungs. I will have to continue this my entire life. My lungs use to function at 80 percent, but now they only function at 30 percent.”

“She [Goodwin] said exercise was really hard for [people with cystic fibrosis] but it’s what’s best for them, so that’s why we did a 5K,” Miller said.

“It [cystic fibrosis] affects my breathing and running,” Hannah Goetz explained. “[Exercise] helps you cough and get all the stuff up so you can breathe better.”

A total of 158 people, ranging in age from under 10 to over 75, participated in the 5K at a cost of $25 per person.  All proceeds were donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. All participants received a T-shirt and a lunch after the race, catered by Bubba-N-Franks BBQ. Other sponsors included Allstate of Smithfield, Anytime Fitness, Farmers Bank, Food Lion, Smithfield Foods, T3 Communications and Total Chiropractic.

Participants were awarded first through third place medals by age group. In the male 10 and under age group, Ryland Harrell took first, Ethan Caggiano, took second and Ethan Brinkley took third. In the female 10 and under age group, Bristol Stallings took first, Skylie Cholowenski took second and Jordan Helt took third. In the male 11-14 age group, Kevin Klopproth took first, Jesse Whiddon took second and Peyton Goetz took third. In the female 11-14 age group, Abigail Deily took first, Mary Elliott took second and Anya Cholowenski took third.

In the male 15-19 age group, Brian Stull took first. In the female 15-19 age group, Marlese Boyer took first. In the Female 20-24 age group, Laura Morrison took first. In the Male 25-29 age group, Matt Moore took first. In the female 25-29 age group, Mary Leitner took first and Jillian Goodwin took second.

In the male 30-34 age group, Michael Stallings took first and Richard Cox took second. In the female 30-34 age group, Erin Saville took first, Dana Stallings took second and Meghan Cole took third. In the male 35-39 age group, Paul Willford took first, Phillip Barnes took second and Steve Smith took third. In the female 35-39 age group, Cristin Emrick took first, Heather Blythe took second and Jennifer Gurin took third.

In the male 40-44 age group, Toby Worm took first. In the female 40-44 age group, Carissa Worm took first, Amy Bland took second and Donna Purkey took third. In the male 45-49 age group, Eric Emrick took first, Paul Whiddon took second and Tab Knight took third. In the female 45-49 age group, Kaye Green took first, Stephanie Caggiano took second and Dawn Vendt took third.

In the male 50-54 age group, Superintendent Dr. Jim Thornton took first, Reiner Klopproth took second and Tom Infantino took third. In the female 50-54 age group, Chris Dunhan took first, Mary Thornton took second and Christine Morrison took third. In the male 55-59 age group, Derek Nottingham took first. In the female 55-59 age group, Terry Groenestyn took first.

In the female 60-64 age group, April Bishop took first. In the male 65-69 age group, Harry Patterson took first. In the female 65-69 age group, Darlene Patterson took first. In the female 70-74 age group, Ann Hirn took first, and in the male 75+ age group, Joseph Polinski took first.

According to, cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes continual lung infections and makes breathing difficult. It is not contagious. People with cystic fibrosis have inherited two copies of the defective CF gene, one from each of their parents. A CF gene causes a very think buildup of mucus in the lungs and pancreas. This mucus clogs the lungs and traps bacteria, causing infections and lung damage. There is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis.