Track meet to raise lung cancer awareness

Typically, Crittenden County athletes host once a year a track meet to bring attention to efforts to prevent and treat breast cancer. The theme began several years ago when now-retired Angela Starnes was the track and field coach, and even before she was diagnosed with the disease that affects mostly women.

This year, cancer remains the culprit that’s raising awareness, but the annual Pink Out Track and Field Meet set for Tuesday is turning against lung cancer. Senior distance runner Kate Keller asked current track coach Sandra Martinez to allow the gist to be tweaked a bit because one of her mentors was suffering from lung cancer. Plus, it just so happens that the cancer victim has a storied history with the track and field program at Crittenden County.

Marty McKinney of Marion was diagnosed with advance lung cancer a few weeks ago. She was instrumental in helping raise funds to build the oval track at Marion-Crittenden County Park in the 1980s. McKinney’s daughter, Sally, was a talented distance runner who set a couple of records back then. Ironically, it was Keller who recent broke two of them in the .... see the remainder of this article in the May 6, 2021 full edition of The Crittenden Press, which is available online or in print.