Event Description
Please come join our 5K and support “The Crumbley Cause” by helping us honor THREE amazing people! Our mission is to provide monetary support as well as camaraderie within our communities for these wonderful humans.
What is this The Crumbley Cause/Run all about?
This is a charity that Fit Body started in 2023 was to help Jordan through her battle with breast cancer. She is a former coach, and we wanted to do everything we could to support her and her family.
Jordan has inspired so many and has been a beacon of hope for hundreds of people - and now, in honor of Jordan, we have dedicated our charity and this race to her name! When it was time to host our event in 2024, Jordan, being the selfless person she is, felt she was in a good place and suggested that we branch out to our communities to see who else might need the support instead. This has opened an opportunity to keep her inspiring story alive by taking on a new family at each of our locations (Watkinsville, Athens, Monroe - "WAM") that are in need of help!
Here is a little bit about the people that you are helping when you sign up to do our 5K this year:
First, we would like to tell you about Meredith Cascada, the family we are supporting at our Watkinsville location. Meredith is a wife to her highschool sweetheart, Will, and they are parents to three sweet children; Cavin, 10, Hazel, 7, and Eliza, who is 5. Meredith homeschools them and is also a child counselor; Will is an elementary music teacher. Together as a family they love spending their time swimming, playing games, taking walks, watching movies, going on fun adventures, and baking! Meredith and Will have lived in Athens/Watkinsville for a total of 11 years and are UGA alumni and love this wonderful community!!
In April, Meredith found a lump on her breast and quickly made an appointment to see her primary care doctor. They ran tests and a biopsy. A few weeks later, the day after Mother’s Day, on May 12, 2025, a day she says she will never forget, her chart showed her that the lump she had discovered was actually Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. It is stage 2 stage 2 triple negative breast cancer, grade 3 (which just means really aggressive).
The month of May became a whirlwind of appointments, MRI’s, more biopsies, more MRI’s, heart tests, oncology, and surgeon appointments. She started chemo May 30th and will have it weekly until August 22nd, following that, she will start a heavy duty chemo, nicknamed “Red Devil” that will be every 3 weeks, 4 rounds.
After chemo, she will have surgery and then will potentially begin radiation. For now, Meredith has had to pause working because of all the side effects that come with her treatments.
“It has been an overwhelming time with lots of emotions, tears, and worries. It has been an overwhelming time, but it has also been incredible to see the Body of Christ and this amazing community come alongside us.” - Meredith
Furthermore, at our Athens location, we are supporting Chandra Power. Chandra is a mother to 3 adult daughters, mother-in-law to their spouses, and a beloved grandmother to 3 grandchildren. She was born and raised just outside of Athens, GA and has committed her life to teaching public school, as she has taught for over 40 years. When she is not teaching, Chandra enjoys reading, knitting, coffee, and spending time with her family. She is kind, compassionate, and oh so witty.
In 2021 Chandra was diagnosed with colon cancer but the cancer was able to be removed successfully via surgery. She thought she was in the clear until she recently learned in April of this year that the cancer had returned, but at stage 4, in her lungs, hips, and liver. If it had not been for a pneumonia diagnosis in December that led to a chest x-ray, it would likely have gone undetected.
Chandra will be undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy biweekly. The duration of treatment is unknown at this time and there is a possibility that she will remain on some type of treatment for the duration of her life. The goal of treatment is to prolong and enhance the quality of her life. She is unsure if she will be able to return to work in the fall and is currently living with her youngest daughter, who is a nurse, to receive the full support and care that she needs at this time.
A few words from Chandra: “I’m blown away by the support and kindness from the community and the FitBody Family. We like to talk about how it takes a village to raise a child. What often goes unmentioned and sometimes even ignored is that it also takes a village to care for someone who is terminally ill. I am fortunate that I have children who are more than willing to step up and provide care for me. The sad reality is that treatment comes at a great cost and it can be overwhelming to think about how you will get through it all. I am so blessed to have been considered for this award much less chosen for it. I am so appreciative to the ATHENS community. Thanks to all of you.”
At our Monroe location, we are supporting Lauren Egeland! Lauren just turned 36 and has been married to her high school sweetheart, Steven, for 14 years. They are the parents to three beautiful children, Laila is 12, Levi is 10 and Ava is 7. They are Lauren’s entire world!
In 2019, she went to her OBGYN to get checked out after learning that her grandma was diagnosed with female cancer. It was at that appt when they discovered a lump in her right breast… Up until this point, Lauren was healthy and had never really gone to the doctor for anything. All of a sudden, after that diagnosis, she had multiple mammograms, an ultrasound and biopsies. During this time she went from believing what she was told, that she was too young and it was probably nothing to worry about, to having to schedule her first ever surgery, just two days before she turned 30 years old… A double mastectomy.
In August of 2019, she had her first chemo treatment, known as the “Red devil.” Lauren had to get these treatments every two weeks. It is so strong that a person can only withstand 6 total rounds of this in their lifetime… She ended up having 4. After “Red devil,” Lauren went weekly until she completed 12 rounds of taxol through December of 2019. Then in February of 2020, when she began 30 rounds of radiation, which took place every Monday-Friday for 6
weeks. Thankfully she felt good during this time and her body responded really well during chemo and radiation and all was well until the end of 2022, when she started experiencing extremely severe back pain. that kept her from being able to function.
In April of 2023 after an MRI, she was given the sad and unfortunate news that her cancer had returned in her spine. After doctors performed a kyphoplasty procedure, that was meant to help, (this is where cement is put into the spine) it ultimately left her unable to walk until January of 2024. She spent over half of that year doing more radiation and going to physical therapy to learn how to walk again. Since then, Lauren has had to stop three different chemo treatments because they were no longer working which has caused her cancer to progress and is now currently in her bones and in her liver. May of this year (2025), she has started a new chemo and she is in a lot of pain but is doing her best, day by day.
“I have learned that I need extra fluids and to eat even when I don’t feel like eating. It helps!! Cancer is HARD, like HARD, HARD BUT life is still good even with cancer. I would do chemo for 100 years if it means I could grow old with my husband, Steven, and watch my kids grow up. When I was growing up all I wanted to do was be a mama. God granted me that and I pray everyday that He lets me stay around long enough to watch my babies grow!!”
We are extremely grateful as an organization to have the love, support, and care of you all! We thank you in advance for signing up to help and make an impact on these wonderful lives! They need our help, so please spread the word, share the 5k link, and come support!!
Another way to show support and help raise money is to bring used/new shoes to donate at the 5k!! We will be collecting shoes and will have a drop off zone for the “shoe area” to collect what you bring! We are partnered with a non-profit organization called Funds2Orgs and this is how it helps support these families:
For every bag we are able to fill with 25 pairs of shoes, we receive ~$10 back. 100% of the funds we raise will be directly given to the families! The shoes themselves are given to 26 different third world countries in need. It is a win-win!
Here are the rules for the shoes - They can be worn, but we do not take shoes that have any holes. The soles must be intact still, and they have to be donated as a matching pair! If the shoes have laces, they must be tied together with those laces. Shoes without laces can be velco’d, buckled, zip tied, or rubber banded together!
Our hope is to be able to donate a minimum of 300 bags, and with each bag being worth ~$10 - between all of our locations our goal is to raise $3,000 through the shoe drive alone!
All proceeds from the 5k will be split evenly between Meredith, Chandra, and ......! So share the link and invite all of your friends to our 5k this year! We are so excited to be hosting you all at Wire Park on September 20th!
Event details and schedule
We will begin packet pick-up at our Watkinsville Fit Body Boot Camp location on Friday, Sept 19th. Please stop by from 3p - 7p.
Day of race packet pick up will be from 8a to 8:30a near the ampitheatre located in front of The Grid at Wire Park. Free parking available on a first come, first serve basis.
Race Start time: 9am
Please make sure that you have completed your waiver before coming to the race! Wear comfy running clothes and shoes. This is community event, please bring your neighbors, family members, and friends!
We will have giveaways, music, booths, and a ROCK WALL (thank you Apex)! There are also public restrooms that can be utilized. There is also a brewery and other shops for your post-race enjoyment!
This is a timed event, courtesy of our co-hosts and partners - Athens Running Company!
Course is the same as last year if you were able to attend. The course can be seen in the gallery on this website. It will also be available on race day at the registration tables.
