Participants in the Precious Gems Memorial Run did more than show their athletic ability at the June 29 race. They helped fund a video that will be shown to students across the area.
According to Maggie Blong, the mother of Megan Blong, who was killed by a drunken driver in 1999, the task of speaking over and over about the loss of her child has become physically and emotionally exhausting.
According to the Precious Gems Memorial website, on Tuesday, April 6, 1999, the communities of Kill Devil Hills, N.C., and Medford, were greatly impacted by a terrible car crash.
A drunken driver with a previous history of drunk driving arrests ran a red light in Kill Devil Hills and slammed into a car carrying five teenagers.
One of the teens lived in North Carolina and the other four were from Burlington County.
The teenagers — Blong, Amanda Geiger, Shana Lawler and Angela McGrady — all died at the crash. Mike Horner sustained serious injuries, but survived.
The drunken driver sustained minor injuries and was charged with DWI and other offenses.
The girls were from Medford, and the race took place at Shawnee High School.
“It’s getting too difficult,” Blong said. “We’re concentrating more on Burlington County’s boot camp, where it’s a last chance for teenagers to either go to jail or boot camp.”
The task of speaking on the tragedy and loss has also taken a toll on Erin Lawler, the substance awareness coordinator at Seneca High School and Shana Lawler’s older sister.
In May, Lawler organized a Color Run for Seneca students, due to the challenge of speaking about the accident.
“There are thousands of crosses that are erected every year because someone didn’t think, someone didn’t step in and say something, take the keys. Someone’s somebody is represented with each cross, and that isn’t fair,” Lawler told The Sun in May. “That’s why we created the Precious Gems Memorial because we refuse to let their loss be in vain.”
Lawler’s intent of the Color Run was to deliver the same information the Precious Gems lesson provided in a lighter manner.
“For the past 14 years, I and the other families have pressed forward and entered new chapters in our lives,” Lawler said. “But there is not a day that I do not think of my sister. Melissa Marvin [the convicted drunken driver] removed four lives from this earth. The girls, their families had no say.”
In January 2000, Marvin was found guilty of four counts of second-degree murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon. She was sentenced to a minimum of 60 years in prison.
Currently, Precious Gems is working with the Art Institute of Philadelphia on the video, which began production in the spring.
“This video will be distributed to any high school that wants it when we’re done at their prom assembly, health classes or drivers education,” Blong said. “It’s about a decision that impacts so many other people.”
The video will also be sent to North Carolina.
“People don’t realize it, but we couldn’t have done it without this run,” Blong said.
Organizing the most recent run was a seamless process for the organization.
“I’ve been associated with the Pinelands Striders since 1978, and as time went on, I ran with a few friends. After our daughter was killed, the Pinelands Striders gave us a call one day to do this race,” father of Amanda Geiger, Mike Geiger, said. “Everyone in the Striders is wonderful and enthusiastic.”
According to Geiger, the run was originally the Independence Day Run, but with the partnership, it transformed into the Precious Gems Memorial Run.
Geiger hopes the run will help raise awareness and inspire people to use common sense.
“It’s hard to measure but we hope we made an impact on the others and the community,” Geiger said.
