Kramer sewed 16 black and white race shirts, with a white fleece backing, from last year's two-mile race during the Parkersburg Homecoming Festival as a gift to Marks. The blanket was given as a surprise gift during a race committee meeting.
Marks is director of the two-mile race and president of the River City Runners and Walkers Club, which helps with the News and Sentinel races.
Marks has been working on the committee for the News and Sentinel races since 2002 when she started with the two-mile race, said Chip Allman, director of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon.
After serving four years as the two-mile assistant director, Marks became race director of the two-mile event.
"She (Marks) has done an excellent job in making it one of the best and biggest races in the state," Allman said. Allman noted that Marks also helps with the half marathon.
Marks' efforts have included ordering and coordinating the ice for the half marathon and two-mile races, directing the course tour that has become popular with the runners and walkers, setting up and coordinating the school facilities for the kids' races, helping recruit volunteers for all three races, helping sort and distribute volunteer shirts, helping with the television and radio shows with Allman for the half marathon, two-mile and kids' races, and representing the club as president of RCRWC, Allman said.
Marks said she loves the race shirt blanket and was humbled to receive the blanket from Kramer. She said she knew how much work Kramer puts into making the blankets.
Kramer sewed a multi-colored blanket, containing 20 race shirts, that will be given away as a door prize at the two-mile awards ceremony on Aug. 20.
Kramer also will be giving away a half marathon blanket at the Smoot Theatre awards ceremony at 1 p.m. Aug. 20.
Kramer makes shirt blankets from donated race shirts (from RCRWC members), and uses them for door prizes at area races. Since 2002, she has made nearly 200 blankets, from all kinds of sports shirts, as part of her home business, DK's Shirt-Blankets.
Kramer, a member of the River City Runners and Walkers Club, will be assisting with the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon.
Article Photos
Photo by Jeff Baughan
Donna Kramer, right, made the black and white race shirt blanket for Sharon Marks, center, for her efforts with the two-mile race sponsored by The Parkersburg News and Sentinel in August. The race shirt blanket at left, also made by Kramer, will be given away after the two-mile race on Aug. 20. Also pictured is Keith Hoy, a member of the River City Runners and Walkers Club and the half marathon committee.