The posters on the wall at Longmont’s Mentor Graphics tell the story of the company’s long history with the BolderBOULDER’s Business Challenge.
“I think it brings your home family and your work family together a little bit,” engineering manager Geoff Babb said.
The Business Challenge helps companies encourage wellness and physical activity among their employees and their families.
It also reminds the runners of the true reason the race is held on Memorial Day – honoring those who lost their lives protecting our freedom.
“It really makes Memorial Day Memorial Day and not another three day weekend,” Babb said.
The Mentor Graphics team runs the BolderBOULDER to honor the life of Danny Dietz, a Navy seal from Littleton who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005.
Dietz’s story hits close to home for marketing manager Steve Hughes. His son is in the military in the U.K.
“That's kind of why I started doing it again last year after my son came home from Afghanistan,” Hughes said. “The fact we support Danny Dietz and his family. Feels good. Feels good to be involved.”
Marketing manager Mark Lainge has another reason for running the race.
“2008 was the first race that I ran,” he said. “I did it again in 2009 shortly thereafter I was diagnosed with stage three cancer.
Despite going through multiple rounds of chemo therapy, he keeps running.
“To feel good, to stay healthy, and to use that as a means of showing other people to stay fit to stay healthy,” Lainge said. “You don't know what's coming.”