Hess Cancer Foundation Legacy Parkway Bike & Run

After receiving an anonymous $1,000 donation to help with burial expenses following the death of his daughter to cancer, a distant relative, two time cancer survivor, and triathlete, Travis Hess, founded the Hess Cancer Foundation (HCF) [http://hesscancer.org] in 2005 to help other families who also struggle to pay for burial expenses when loved ones loose their battle with cancer. HCF has sponsored several fund raising events to raise funds for needy families.

This year, HCF again sponsored the Legacy Parkway Bike & Run, which included a 2 mile fun run, a half marathon, and a 20 mile bike ride along most of the length of the relatively new Legacy Parkway freeway running the length of Davis County in Utah (just north of Salt Lake City) and paralleling Interstate 15.

Since I was in the area last weekend to take Zach up to school at BYU, I decided to participate in the bike ride. Before starting we were reminded that the bike ride was NOT a race, so we were not to pass the pacing motorcycle officer, who was not supposed to exceed 25 mph. I'm pretty sure the motorcycle was going closer to 30mph, since I'm pretty sure that I averaged in excess of 25mph. Even though I'm not accustom to the 4,200 foot elevation, on the mostly flat course I managed to overcome a start back in the pack of several hundred cyclists and caught up with and took turns leading the second peleton, finishing 2nd in that group. The ride was challenging, yet fun. After completing and parking my bike, I happened to be standing nearby when another cyclist who had just finished became light headed and tipped over after crossing the finish line, stopping, and unclipping his shoe from one pedal. In the process of tipping over, he sustained a gash on his lower calf (perhaps from the teeth on the large chain ring) that was deep enough to recommend he get some stitches later on. I helped him back to his feet and assisted in him receiving some first aid. It was fun to return to the finish line to congratulate the remainder of the cyclists and runners as they crossed the finish line. I was impressed to see at least two participants (one on a bike and another who completed the half marathon) with artificial legs. The large number of volunteers did a great job of making this a successful event.

Here are some URLs of articles and photos:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705326800/Photos-Photos-A-day-at-the-Legacy-Raceway.html
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_13230946?IADID
http://tinyurl.com/luawq4
http://tinyurl.com/nwh2gy (hold mouse over photo, then select X2Large size to get a better look at that weird dude with the light on his helmet)

"Anything Goes", apparently.

For most of August, Zachary has been rehearsing for this year's City of Tustin Broadway-in-the-Park play "Anything Goes". The play is a romantic comedy that takes place on a ship crossing the Atlantic in the 1930's.

Its not a family friendly play like those which have been performed the past several years, which included the likes of 'The Music Man', 'The King and I', 'Oklahoma' , and 'Fiddler on the Roof'. Although the play does have some funny moments, many of the attempts at humor are related to blatant or subtle references to immorality, alcoholism, drugs, criminals, and immoral or illegal behavior.

Zach did very well as one of dancers. (See photo #1 in the article referenced below) Today (Saturday) is their final performance.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/tustin-tickets-cost-2535633-anything-selling

The Women in our Lives

http://tinyurl.com/n9sjjb

Hess Family Reunions

Kim and I and Zach and Kaylee traveled to Utah last weekend for some family events. On Friday the 24th, my siblings and I put on a belated 80th birthday party for my Mom. (more on this later, perhaps) On Saturday the 25th, we attended two Hess family reunions. The one in the morning was for all descendants of my great-great grandfather, John W. Hess, and his seven wives.

Here is a brief report I was asked to write about the reunion.

"On a beautiful Saturday morning, the twenty-fifth of July, approximately 175-200 descendants of family patriarch John W Hess met at the historic rock church on Main Street in Farmington, Utah for the 2009 John W Hess family reunion. Family organization president Chuck Hess conducted the business meeting and welcomed all those in attendance. Christa Taylor played a lovely solo violin version of "Oh How Lovely Was The Morning" and was accompanied on the piano by Aria Taylor.

JWH family organization officer Jay Hess introduced the main speaker, Bruce Parry, the chairman of the Northwest Band of the Shoshone Nation. Bruce spoke at length about some of the interactions between pioneers/settlers and the indigenous peoples of the area of Northern Utah and Southern Idaho. He included multiple accounts of John W. Hess' dealings with, and service to, the local tribes and their members. He also talked about some of the business projects the Shoshone Nation is working on, including lucrative green energy projects.

A 3rd great grandson of John W. Hess and Julia Pederson, Zachary Michael Hess, accompanied by his mother Kim Hess, sang two musical numbers. The first was entitled, “Go Bring Them In”, which tells the story of the Willie and Martin handcart companies and those who answered the call to embark on a rescue mission to “bring them in from the plains”. The second song was a Pioneer Hymn Medley consisting of “They the Builders of the Nation”, “Come, Come Ye Saints”, and Faith in Every Footstep”.

After the business meeting, attendees retired to the cultural hall where obviously experienced volunteers had engineered efficient production lines for quickly feeding large groups of people.

Display tables containing information and photographs from the descendants of the various wives of John W were on display. While finishing up their lunch, attendees were treated to a James Arrington comedy routine that was very reminiscent of Officer Bob’s talent show performance in the LDS genre movie “Baptists At Our Barbecue”. Then he treated the standing room only audience to his well polished and famous “Farley Family Reunion” comedy skit. He had even the most stoic family members cracking smiles that were hard to erase from their faces. Many should have sore face muscles from smiling and laughing so much for so long.

Many thanks to all those who helped with the reunion planning, setup, operation, providing food, and clean up. See you again at the 2011 reunion, if not sooner."

Here is a photo of Zach singing a pioneer theme song at the reunion that was held in the rock chapel in Farmington, Utah where the first Primary meeting was held, and in which chapel a mural has been painted depicting that event. John W. Hess presided at that historic meeting as the bishop of the ward and can be seen standing at the podium in the mural.


That evening, we also attended a family reunion for descendants of my paternal Grandfather and Grandmother, Newell and Alta Hess which was held at the home of my Aunt Joyce. Even more than I liked the home made rootbeer and home made apricot pie, it felt so good to spend a few hours with extended family in a place that holds such fond childhood memories for me. Here is a photo of all those in attendance, as well as a photo of attending descendants of my father Jay Hess and some of their family members.


I will eventually post additional photos of the reunion at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/CameronHess/2009NewellAndAltaHessFamilyReunion#