Family Holds Inaugural Run In Honor Of Vibrant Daughter
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4) - A community is coming together to honor the memory of a Castle Rock girl who died in May of 2017.
Rylie Guentensberger, 12, was injured when she was pinned under an SUV that drove into a store in Parker.
The driver had a medical condition.
Rylie was in the hospital for a month before dying from her injuries.
On Sunday, they joined together for the inaugural Rylie's Run in Castle Rock.
On any Sunday in Colorado, you wouldn't be surprised to find a 5k going on, but this one wasn't about competing or dressing up in costume. This one was about a little girl.
"All of this is a testament to Rylie. These people have come out because of how Rylie touched their lives," said Megan Guentensberger, Rylie's mother.
This was the first Rylie's Run 5k in Castle Rock. A few hundred people came out to run 3.1 miles in honor of the young girl.
A year after her death, her parents wanted to celebrate their little girl's life and say thank you to the community.
"We were just supported by so many great people that we wanted to do something as a community to recognize her and honor her," said Megan.
When her parents thought about how to do that, hosting a 5k fun run was a perfect fit.
"She was the one who always wanted to be out doing something, so this just made sense" said Megan.
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Her parents also used the race as a launch for their new organization Rylie's ARK which encourages people to perform acts of random kindness in their everyday lives.
"Rylie was always known to just add a little fun to things so this… this would be Rylie," Megan said.
Michael Abeyta is a 4th generation Coloradan and a Multimedia Journalist for CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 5 & 6. He is on Twitter! Follow him @AbeytaCBS4.