Local Pat Tillman Scholar Helps Organize First 'Pat's Run' In OKC Metro

A local Pat Tillman scholar is helping organizing the first “Pat's Run” in the Oklahoma City metro.

In 2002, Pat Tillman put an all-star NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals on hold to serve his country in the wake of the attacks of 9/11. On the evening of April 22, 2004, Pat's unit was ambushed as it traveled through the rugged, canyon terrain of eastern Afghanistan. His heroic efforts to provide cover for fellow soldiers as they escaped from the canyon led to his untimely and tragic death via fratricide.

Founded in 2004, the Pat Tillman Foundation invests in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships – building a diverse community of leaders committed to service to others, according to the foundation's official website.

Learn more about the foundation. 

Each year, the Arizona State University Alumni Association works with the Pat Tillman Foundation to raise money for the Tillman Scholars Program. They do that through a 4.2-mile fun run called "Pat's Run."

Jackie Crynes, a Tillman Scholar in Oklahoma City, is an advocate for the Tillman Foundation. Originally from Illinois, Crynes attended ASU as a Tillman "Leadership Through Action" Scholar. While at ASU (2008-12), she gained an interest in social causes and leadership development.

Crynes and a local man with no ASU/military connections, Wesley Burt, have been integral forces in organizing the first Pat's Run in Oklahoma.

On April 25, the OKC-area Pat's Run will be held at Joe B. Barnes Regional Park, located at 8700 E. Reno Ave., Midwest City, beginning at 9 a.m.