He’s helped motivate student athletes for years. Now, those kids are cheering on their coach as he steps into the journey of a lifetime.
Rick Wulf has been a runner for about 45 years, and he’s been in a lot of marathons in that time. Also, he’s served as an assistant track and cross country coach at Cheney Middle School and Cheney High School for 15 years.
“I love running,” he said. “It’s one of my passions.”
Today, he’s combining that passion with another: helping youth.
For nearly 20 years, Rick has volunteered with the Tennyson Center for Children in Colorado. It’s a non-profit that helps kids impacted by neglect, abuse and trauma. This year, he wanted to mark the occasion with a special trip by running from Cheney to Denver, to the center, where he spends part of his summer.
“The seed was planted about 10 years ago while I was attending a Bible study group, and the topic of discussion from our pastor was, ‘What are your talents?’ And the second part of that was, ‘and What are you using your talents for to serve God?’ I knew my talent had to be centered around running and kids as those are both my passions, but the second part of the question took me a little longer to figure out,” he writes online. “It was one of those long weekend runs, running the backroads through the countryside where I found my answer. I was going to run from Cheney to Tennyson to bring awareness to child abuse.”
He was supposed to run this route in 2020, but with the pandemic and a shaky economy, he felt it wasn’t the right time — until now.
As he laced up his shoes on July 2, student athletes and friends gathered for a proper sendoff.
“I wasn’t sure how many were going to show up,” Rick said. “I had to move my start time 7 a.m., so it would be easier for a lot of them to get there. I was blown away by how many showed up.”
Some of those students helped him start the run on this “500 Miles of Hope,” as he calls it — providing hope for the abused kids, but also hope for himself for the next 20 days. As those ran alongside him, he said it was the perfect way to begin the route.
“Most of them ran about 3.5 miles, but then others joined me for about 6 miles,” he said. “Then, some came over to Kingman as I ran through Kingman and joined me there and ran though Kingman with me. I’ve had a couple today that even drove out by Pratt to join me out there to run a few miles.”
Some of those runners include kids he’s helped as a coach in Cheney.
“Really hard to see them leave to see them become seniors and move on, but there’s always others who fill their shoes,” he said.
SUPPORTING THE CAUSE
With water and food, Rick is running those 500 miles — nearly 30 a day — until his journey is complete on July 21. With each stop, he’s been wowed by people who’ve made signs for him and those who’ve also slipped on their running shoes.
People have also donated a lot of money so Rick can help raise money to support the Tennyson Center, which he said has changed his life. He and his wife were so moved by the children, they’ve even considered adopting a child they met there.
“I usually am out there every year,” he said. “I make connections with a lot of the kids. We try to, even if we can take their mind off what they’ve been through even one day, one week, it’s all worth it.”
It’s especially worthwhile knowing of the money generated with the fundraiser. Within the first week, he already exceeded his goal of $7,500. Rick said his employer, Textron Aviation, agreed to match up to $7,500. He’s worked at the company for 24 years and appreciates it investing in his run. Rick thinks he will raise $20,000 by the time he completes his one millionth step in Denver.
Lubbers Car Dealership donated a support vehicle, and members of his church, Trinity United Christian Church, have helped drive it.
“The support has been overwhelming, both financially, and it’s gotten way bigger than I ever anticipated it would,” he said.
Rick has competed in many marathons, but he’s never done something quite this big. He has the support of doctors to make sure his body is in the best shape to reach this feat.
PREPARING FOR THE RUN
Here’s a look at Rick’s tentative route:
- Leave Cheney, KS July 2nd
- Day 1 – Kingman, KS
- Day 2 – Natrona, KS
- Day 3 – St John, KS
- Day 4 – Great Bend, KS
- Day 5 – Alexander, KS
- Day 6 – Ness City, KS
- Day 7 – Dighton, KS
- Day 8 – Scott City, KS
- Day 9 – Leoti, KS
- Day 10 – Wallace County, KS
- Day 11 – Cheyenne Wells, KS
- Day 12 – Mt Pearl, CO
- Day 13 – Flagler, CO
- Day 14 – Hugo, CO
- Day 15 – Matheson, CO
- Day 16 – Agate, CO
- Day 17 – Watkins, CO
- Day 18 – Denver, CO
While the days are hot, he’s managed to make some stops earlier than expected. One snag came on July 7, when the weather got in the way.
“Because of rain, lightning and flooding Rick is running indoors and on the track at the Barton County Community College today. Hope for better weather tomorrow,” his 500 Miles of Hope Facebook page updated online.
Those small setbacks don’t compare to the bigger picture: showing people the tough reality some kids face, and helping get them services they need.
“I just hope to use that to raise money and bring awareness to child abuse, to hopefully help the home,” he said. “A lot of these kids are severely abused. It’s my way of trying to help them out.
“These kids touch my heart,” he continued. “They break my heart for everything they’ve been through. I just want to do anything and everything I can to help them out.”
For those who want to contribute to the fundraiser, Rick encourages people to follow the 500 Miles of Hope Facebook page.
“If you can’t support financially, say prayers for me for safe travels and staying healthy,” he said.
The page is also great to see daily updates of the trip. If anyone wants to run with Rick, he said contact the page. Running partners make the miles go by fast, he said.
“I’ve got a few schools lined up out west that will bring cross country kids out and join me for a few miles,” Rick said. ” If anyone’s interested in joining me, I’m happy to share my location and have them come on out and run with me a little bit.”
When Rick arrives in Colorado, he’ll be greeted by a group of Cheney kids who will come out to Tennyson to volunteer the week of July 22.