Over the years, there have been some people who question the wisdom of holding a 5k charity run named for, arguably, a terrorist act. However, the Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run For Your Life has always had a group involved that would argue for the good of the event — Allen County Crimestoppers.
Mike Ford, community resource officer for the Iola Police Department, said they came up with the idea for the race initially when Iola celebrated its sesquicentennial several years ago, and proceeds from the event have always gone to benefit Thrive Allen County and Crimestoppers.
People celebrate many historical events with much darker stories behind them than Charley Melvin’s bombing. Ford pointed out that when Melvin decided to bomb several illegal bars in Iola, he did so late at night so as to purposely avoid bringing harm to any people.
“Nobody was hurt, nobody was killed. He wasn’t targeting any people,” Ford said. “He just wanted to get rid of the rum.”
The event provides a great opportunity not only to raise money, but also to raise community awareness of Crimestoppers and encourage community togetherness. Ford said that for this year’s event, they tried to include more activities for children and provide more free offerings for families who want to spend the day together, even if money is tight for them.
“We’re trying to give them more for their dollar,” Ford said.
The fire truck nozzle will be open all day so children can play in the water to keep cool. There will be a free watermelon feed. The Iola High School Band has taken charge of the inflatables and decided to charge a flat rate of $10 per child. This price includes unlimited time to play, plus a hot dog and sno-cone. The money raised from the inflatables will help the high school band travel to San Antonio for the bowl game.
Ford’s favorite part is the run, itself. He said he is usually found in front, taking photos, and the sight of a thousand people running toward him is unlike anything else he’s seen.
“It’s pretty amazing to see that many people coming around the corner at once,” he said.
Ford said their efforts to improve the Mad Bomber Run and provide more all-day family fun has helped the event grow steadily each year, and he looks forward to seeing it continue to grow in the future.
“Even if you’re not interested in the run, check it out,” he said.
