Page 9 - 2018 Conway Senior Expo

RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRATGAZETTE • SENIOR EXPO SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018
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“When the dust has settled and the race is over, I walk down this street, and I still get wet-eyed when I think about it,” he said.
During the race’s 13 years, Don said, it has raised more than $180,000, and the 2018 event alone raised $25,000. For the first 12 years, half of the event’s proceeds went to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where Chase had been treated, and the other half went to Friends of the Conway Animal Shelter.
This year, half the proceeds went to Haven House, a local group home for adolescent females who are in foster care. The organization is working to build a new facility, and Don said he decided to pay for a bedroom, which will cost around $39,000.
In February, Stoby’s Restaurant in Conway hosted a pancake breakfast as an additional fundraiser for the race. The breakfast was held on a Sunday, a day that the restaurant is typically closed, and Don said it provided the pancake batter, sausages and two employees. The fundraiser brought in $3,500. Don praised owners Patti and David Stobaugh for their generosity.
“Why am I here in Conway?” he asked. “I love the people of Conway. They helped me when I needed help.”
Don said he worked for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (now the Arkansas Department of Transportation) for 40 years. He was an
Why am I here in Conway? I love the people of Conway. They helped me when I needed
help.”
— Don Potter, coordinator of the annual Chase Race that takes place in Conway, Arkansas
engineer who specialized in hydraulics, hydrology and water quality. He retired in 1996 because he realized he had a pretty substantial pension.
“My first day at the highway department was fun, and 40 years later, my last day was fun,” he said. “I didn’t really want to quit, but I was losing money by working.”
When Don started running, he said, he started simple and got to where he could run a mile, then 2. Don has now done 30 marathons, including the Pike’s Peak Marathon in Colorado five times. He said he has retired from doing marathons but still runs six days a week.
In addition to his regular morning running group, Don also works with fourth-graders in an after-school program. He encourages kids to stay active and tells them his personal slogan of “move your parts,” which simply means that to stay healthy, they need to find activities that keep them moving. Don said the motto not only applies to kids, but to adults and seniors as well.
Don said the Conway community has been one of the best things in his life, especially after the loss of Chase and Cheryl.
After they died, Don, who was a frequent churchgoer, said he became disappointed and angry with God. He said that when a tragedy like that occurs, “you want to blame someone besides yourself.”
“I was raised Church of Christ, and we went to church three times a week. I never asked, ‘What are we going to do
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Don Potter, shown, runs at the 2017 Chase Race, which is in memory of his son.