Telegraph Staff Writer
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— Over 230 runners and walkers lined up for the Freedom 5K in front of the Keystone Heights City Hall on the morning of July 4.
Race organizer Kerry Cooper Collins told the crowd that the event is the sole fundraiser for the Jordan Cooper Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to Keystone Heights High School graduates.
“These scholarships allow Jordan’s memory to live on in these young kids that go on through their lives so she will never be forgotten,” Collins said.
Jordan Cooper, Collins’s niece, was murdered in 2017 by a neighbor. The victim’s family said the 25-year-old had the mental capacity of a young teenager.
Collins held back tears as she told participants that the Fourth of July was one of her niece’s favorite holidays.
“She would be ecstatic and thrilled to know that you all are here today supporting her and her memory,” she said.
Troy Winkler, 18, of Sanderson, finished first in the 5K with a time of 16:28, followed by Gainesville’s Julian Batista, 19, at 17:35 and Tyler Griffin, 17, of Keystone Heights, with a time of 17:54.
