Community remembers Grant Hickman at annual 5K

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — The life of one local boy was remembered at Zanesville High School Saturday morning as hundreds participated in the 6th Annual “Run4Grant” 5K.

Grant Hickman passed away in 2011 at the age of 14 and his parents said what they thought what would be a small event with family and friends turned into something much bigger.

“It’s just a run to keep Grant’s memory alive, and obviously the money goes towards scholarships for the local high schools’ seniors. We thought it was just going to be a few family and friends and stuff to have a little run, and that first year we had over 600 runners, second year I think it was 500,” said Bret Hickman, the father of Grant.

While Bret Hickman says that the numbers have gone down over the years, they still consistently get around 250 runners and walkers at the event.

The money raised for the Grant Hickman Foundation supports scholarships for Muskingum County seniors at Zanesville, Tri-Valley, John Glenn, Rosecrans, Maysville, and West Muskingum High Schools. Any senior can apply by writing an essay, and the number of kids selected depends on the amount raised and the number of essays submitted.

“They’re $1,000 scholarships, and there is a committee of seven people, this year there was seven people. And we read all the essays and we break them down and the names are not disclosed until the very final reveal and it just depends on the essays how many people we pick,” explained Beth Hickman, Grant’s mother.

Bret and Beth say that Grant was a well-liked kid. He was always on the go and running everywhere, which is why it was suggested to them to host a run/walk event. Bret added that Grant had friends throughout the community at all schools, which is why the scholarship foundation supports all county high schools.

Both parents thanked their sponsors and the community for the overwhelming support and helping keep Grant’s memory alive.