Every April, as the weather finally starts to warm up and the sun returns from wherever it goes during the Midwest winter, there are many things to look forward to on campus. While many events have been canceled or postponed, Forester Athletics is happy to announce that Ry’s Run is still taking place in an online format.
On April 29th, we encourage all Forester Fans to join our Ry’s Run virtual challenge, and run one mile for Ry. Forester Athletics will be posting a short video, and links to donate to the American Cancer Society on our social media platforms, and we encourage anyone who runs a mile for Ry to tag and challenge their friends and family to do the same. Check out the great video from the Forester women's hockey team below; they created it as a way to kick off the virtual race!
In past years, Ry’s Run helped kick off or continue the week leading into Relay for Life and was an event used to honor former Forester and women’s hockey player, Ryann “Ry” McCarthy. The annual event has in the past featured a 5k run, or challenging obstacle course, that students, faculty, and staff could compete in. While we do not have team sign-ups in this year’s virtual challenge format, we hope many of you will join consider donating to the American Cancer Society by pressing the "I want to support my local event" button through the link below.
McCarthy grew up in Lombard, Illinois and graduated Willowbrook High School. A talented hockey player, she enrolled at Lake Forest College in 2006 after helping lead Team Illinois to a state championship. She played hockey for the Foresters from 2006-08 and became the program’s career leader in save percentage and goals against average. She recorded two of the highest single-game save totals in team history late in the 2006-07 season and ranked seventh in the nation in save percentage that year.
In the Fall of 2008, McCarthy was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, an extremely aggressive form of cancer. She was forced to stop playing and withdraw from school due to her illness, but she could often be seen cheering on her fellow Foresters. She lost her battle with cancer on July 28, 2009.
An award in her name and honor was established a few months later and is given annually to the player, selected by her teammates, who best displays spirit, determination, dedication, and love for the game of hockey – the special qualities of the player for whom the award was named – “Ry” McCarthy.