Family Continues to Feel Support From Local Community

Successful 5K fundraiser helps children who lost both parents to cancer battle

VICTORIA – With frost on the ground and temperatures in the 30’s to start the day last Saturday, the organizers and participants in the Teresa Matthews 5K event did not let that slow them down as the reason for the event far outweighed the cold.

The group of runners and walkers for the Teresa Matthews 5K gets ready to start. For more photos of this event go to southsidemessengerphotos.shutterfly.com.

Courtney Shortridge and Christine Kimbrel thanked everyone for coming out to run or walk in the Teresa Matthews 5K event as a wide range of ages and athletes showed up for this worthy cause.

Teresa Matthews passed away in August of last year after a hard fought battle with cancer. Teresa left behind four young children, twins Anna and Alyssa, along with their younger brothers, Anthony and Angelo. With all of the Inzeo children still 11 years old and younger, the four children lost both their mother and previously their father, who also lost a battle to cancer in 2011. The children now live with their uncle Tony Matthews, along with his wife Beth, who also have four children. However, Teresa’s entire family   works together in order to help raise the kids in this community.

The event featured the 5K run/walk where over 100 people showed up to participate and help make for an extremely successful fundraiser. In addition to that, there was a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle held during Autumn Days on Saturday. All of the proceeds will be going to the Inzeo Children’s Fund to help support these kids.

The Matthews family grew up in Lunenburg just a few miles from Keysville and are well known throughout the Southside Virginia area. This prompted a great show of support during the event where runners, family and friends participated.

Tony Matthews stated, “I just want to thank everyone in the community for their support. This event and the love that has been shown to us and the children has been great.”

The overall winner of the event was Chris Rose, who is an uncle to the four kids and had come down from New Jersey in order to participate and show support.

The overall winners were Chris Rose (1st-21.11), Richard Ferguson (2nd-21.40), Paden Lawson (3rd-21.50). Top finishers for the female category were all from the Kenston Forest cross-country team. They were Emily Hawthorne (1st-27.32), Caroline Cumbea (2nd-27.53) and Charlotte Walker (3rd-28.28). Paige Mattox ran with her mother Stephanie and was the top finisher among the children as she posted an impressive time of 29.20.