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AUGUSTA, Ga. – This weekend marks the 6th annual “Run for Ryan” event in Columbia County, a heartfelt tribute to a Lakeside High School alumnus who tragically lost his life nearly 20 years ago during a mass shooting on a college campus.
It’s been almost two decades since Letitie Clark endured the devastating loss of her son, Ryan.
Each day, she finds herself revisiting the memories of that fateful spring day in 2007.
“You question if it’s real. Is this truly happening? It’s incredibly surreal,” Clark shared.
“You wonder if it’s real. Is this really happening? It’s very surreal,” said Clark.
Clark graduated from Lakeside High School in 2002, then went to Blacksburg, Virginia to attend Virginia Tech.
But on April 16th, 2007, the student killed 32 people on campus in a mass shooting.
Clark was a Resident Assistant finishing his senior year at the time, and authorities said he was the first one killed while trying to help another student.
“My life changed. We lost Ryan to senseless gun violence at Virginia Tech. But, when God opens a door, he wants you to do something and not just sit still,” Clark said.
She took this tragedy and turned it into starting the Ryan Clark Scholarship and Community Service Award in 2010 to honor her son’s legacy, and support local students who go the extra mile.
“Everyone can give back to their community. If you live in your community, you should be giving back. We want to honor students that are giving back to their community and making it a better place, so we started the scholarship at just one. Now we’re up to four, and we’ll continue to climb,” said Clark.
As she looks to grow this initiative, she says it all goes back to giving—and it’s what her son was best known for.
“Ryan was a giver. Always being there for others—and we want to be there for others too,” Clark said.
Run for Ryan starts Saturday, March 14th at 8 AM at Lakeside High School.
It’s open to all ages, and you can register by clicking here.