Greater Hershey Area townlively.com
AUGUST 14, 2024
ALSO SERVING HUMMELSTOWN & MIDDLETOWN
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Ben & Tim Day to feature 5K, fun run
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he 33rd annual Ben & Tim Day will take place on Saturday, Aug. 24, in Hershey. Registration is still open for the 5K and 1-mile fun run. The 5K will begin at 9 a.m. at Hershey High School, and t h e f u n r u n w i l l fo l l o w a t 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded in the 5K for the overall winners and the top three finishers in each age categor y. Participants age 12 and under will receive medals.
Sasha will be with Coburn family forever in spirit BY JEFF FALK
People come in and out of our lives, seemingly randomly and without explanation. Some touch us in profound ways, and when those people exit, they leave behind an unfillable void, a deep sadness. But there is also a stark realization that we are better people for having known them. Sasha Coburn had that kind of effect on the Coburn family of Palmyra. The Coburns are both sad he is gone and grateful that he was a part of their lives. “We’re just strong believers,” said Patricia Coburn, Sasha’s adoptive mother and the matriarch of the Coburn family. “He got the love of a family, which he never would’ve had. We took him and we loved him and we let him go. We gave him back to his country.” “He was very good for our family,” continued Patricia. “We all grew from it. We miss him so much, but we know he is with Jesus.” A sergeant in the Ukrainian army, Sasha Coburn was killed in battle on Sept. 30, 2023, during his native country’s ongoing war with Russia. While details are few, Sasha is believed to have been in a ditch with other Ukrainian soldiers when he perished. His body, believed to be in now occupied Russian territory, has never been recovered. “His biological brother sent me a message on Facebook,” said Patricia. “My heart just sank. There were so many See Coburn family pg 2
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There is a discount for those w h o r e g i s t e r b y T u e s d a y, Aug. 20. To register, visit www .benandtimday.org. Registrations will also be accepted in person on race day. B e n & T i m Day w i l l a l s o include a silent auction, vendors, a chicken barbecue, and a car wash. Ben & Tim Day honors the memory of Ben Yupcavage and T im Russell, Hershe y Hig h School student-athletes who died in an automobile accident in 1992. Their families established a memorial fund, which awards educational scholarships to high school students as well as donations to local charities that benefit Runners participate in the 5K (top photo) and fun run (bottom photo) during the 2023 Ben & Tim Day. students.
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Ben & Tim Day honors the memory of Ben Yupcavage and Tim Russell, Hershey High School student-athletes who died in an automobile accident in 1992.
VOL XXXVI • NO 6