Saturday Race to Benefit Young West View Marine

Megan Clark was planning a move to California to be with her boyfriend, Marine Sgt. Joseph Caskey, last year when she got the news that he had been killed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan.

Clark, 24, grew up with Caskey in West View. Though she graduated from North Allegheny High School a year after Caskey graduated from in 2004, the two were able to stay in touch through the years. They had been dating for six months at the time of his death and were talking about marriage.

“Our families both went to the same church," she said. "I’ve known him since we were little kids.”

Now more than a year later, Clark, 24, of West View is unwilling to let his memory die. She has organized the Fearless 5K, a race that will start at 8:40 a.m. Saturday at the Boat House.

“We had the idea of doing it last August," said Clark, the founder and president of the event. "A lot of my friends decided to do the Marine Corps Marathon, and we all went down together, kind of [as] a tribute to Joey. Then we all decided that it would be cool to have our own Fearless 5K in honor of Joe.”

Caskey, 24, died June 26, 2010, while on active duty. He grew up in a military family; his parents, Debra and Gerald Caskey, are retired from the U.S. Army and his two older brothers, Josh and Jeremy, served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, one as an Air Force combat videographer and the other a Marine infantryman. Joseph Caskey was born in Germany and spent part of his childhood in Hawaii before moving to the North Hills. He joined the Marines immediately after graduation and became a motor transportation infantryman. He was on his second tour of duty and was scheduled to come home in November.

“He was definitely a very patriotic person,” Clark said. “He loved his country, and he loved serving for his country. That’s where we got the Fourth of July weekend in mind. It just seemed appropriate with how his personality went.”

Caskey also was an avid fan of fitness, which was one of the reasons Clark said she thought a race would be the perfect way to help his memory live on.

Clark compiled an executive board of 15 people to assist in planning and organizing the event. They’ve met once a month since January to ask for local donations and gather support from area businesses. Not everyone involved in the group knew Caskey, but they said Clark motivated them after they met her.

“I just thought she was a really great person, and I was just surprised with her strength through everything," said Amy Morse, the director of sponsorship and development.

"I don’t know that I would have kept myself together the way she did," Morse said. "When she told me that she was putting a team together, I was like absolutely I will help.”

Elizabeth Mitros, the director of special events, got involved for a similar reason. She did not know anyone involved until the very first meeting, learning of the tragedy through her uncle.

“My uncle introduced me to Megan, and one day she mentioned that she was doing this race and asked if anybody wanted to help her plan it,” Mitros said. “I love running races, and I love planning events, so I told her, ‘Yeah, I’ll help you out.’ The more I learned about it, the more important I thought it was. I started to get really involved in it.”

“I felt for his family, and I felt for Megan. and I felt for all his friends. And this race is really important for them because I know that they want Caskey’s memory to live on. I really want to help make it a success so he can help live on for them.”

Besides the 5K there will be mascots from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins, local vendors, a disc jockey, smoothie making and a Chinese Auction. Caskey’s father will be race marshal.

Folks can pre-register online through Thursday. The cost is $20, which includes a t-shirt and race packet. Participants may register the morning of the race beginning at 7 a.m. The race will begin at 8:40 a.m., and runners awards will be presented at 9:30 a.m.

Event proceeds will benefit the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.