Kentuck Principal runs 21 miles to raise cancer awareness

KENTUCK — Although he’s a principal, not a farmer, Robert Gentry was all about planting seeds Thursday morning as he ran 21 miles from his home in Pelham, N.C., to greet cheering students at Kentuck Elementary School.

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His reason for running was to plant “seeds of benevolence and service” in the minds and hearts of his young students as they raised money for the local American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

“We are planting seeds of empathy for those not as fortunate as they are,” he said. “They let it nurture and grow, and we have potentially 600 adults who are leading Relays for Life.”

For the past week, the students have been competing in the homerooms to see which one could raise the most money for their Coins for Cancer fundraiser. After taking a moment to catch his breath and drink some water, Gentry announced that the total raised was $1,486.17 and the winning homeroom was Amy Woods’ second-grade class.

“You are the lucky ones,” Gentry told the students who gathered in front of the school to see him run the last few yards. “You aren’t sitting in bed or going through chemo or losing your hair.”

He admitted, however, that several students in the school were dealing with parents who had cancer.

Relay for Life is not the only good cause that Kentuck Elementary School supports. Gentry said the students have also jumped rope for the American Heart Association, collected 422 pounds of soft drink tabs for Ronald McDonald Houses and walked for the American Diabetes Association.

“It goes back to the fact that in your heart you should be serving,” Gentry said. “Your life should be predicated on how you serve others.’

Gentry has been principal of Kentuck Elementary for three years. He ran to work two years ago but was unable to do so last year because of an injury.

“But I felt good this year, so I did it,” he said. “It’s a way of bringing recognition to a worthy cause.”

He said the goal was for each homeroom to raise $50 by the students bringing coins in, but if the classroom didn’t make it, that was fine too.

“When a kindergartener gives a quarter, he thinks he’s giving you the world,” Gentry said. “We teach them to start serving young.”

One side of Gentry’s family has been touched by cancer several times. He said he lost a 13-year-old cousin when he was 13 and has since lost two additional cousins to brain cancer.

“Every family is touched by cancer,” he said.

The toughest part of the run was the last part coming down Route 729, Gentry said, because of the heavy morning traffic.

“But it was a magnificent feeling that almost brought tears to my eyes to see them all waiting for me,” he said.