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Ribbons for Annunciation at TC Marathon
Ribbons will line Summit Avenue in St. Paul during the Twin Cities Marathon Sunday. FOX 9's Leon Purvis has the story.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Along the Twin Cities Marathon route, blue and green ribbons will be seen. It's in support of the Annunciation School shooting victims, where two children died, and 21 others were injured.
Green and blue ribbons at TC Marathon
What we know:
The green and blue ribbons go for about four miles on Summit Avenue up to the finish line. The organizer said it took about three weeks to put up the stretch of ribbons.
"This could be a really special thing for the marathon," said Kristen Lyrek.
Lyrek put up the hundreds of ribbons along Summit Avenue, wanting to show support and strength in St. Paul for Annunciation.
"I was so inspired when I went to visit the memorial and saw that, and then when I came to St. Paul, we didn't have that here yet," said Lyrek.
The idea started when she was on a walk.
"I just started kind of picking a block a day, and wrapping them, and then I had an awesome group of people that helped me get to the finish line of that this week," said Lyrek.
Annunciation shooting victims’ parents running in TC Marathon
What they're saying:
Lyrek is close friends with 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel’s parents, Jesse and Mollie. Fletcher was one of the two children killed in the Annunciation shooting. Both of his parents are running on Sunday, remembering their son with a singlet.
"This year, they decided to make it in the colors of Annunciation, and typically, it’s a blue horse, but this year, since Fletcher loved to fish, they did it in the shape of a fish with his initials in it," said Lyrek.
As runners pass four miles of ribbons, they will have the Annunciation family in their hearts and minds to help carry them to the finish line.
"We all want to feel like one community. We want to feel safe in the spaces that we choose to spend our time. And I think that this is a really powerful way to show that," said Lyrek.
What you can do:
If you want to put ribbons up in your neighborhood, contact Bows of Love. The 10-miler for the TC Marathon starts at 7 a.m. Sunday morning. It will be followed by the marathon and then the half-marathon.