Hurricanes trainer Pete Friesen will hold his third annual pre-camp 5K around the RBC Center on Sept. 13, but this one may be a little more meaningful than the first two.
Friesen
said the event will be held in honor of young Julia Rowe, whose battle with
leukemia proved so inspiring to the Hurricanes during their run to the
Stanley Cup in 2006.
Rowe, a neighbor of Hurricanes coach Peter
Laviolette, was the impetus behind the "relentless" motto that the
Hurricanes used during the playoffs. Laviolette sold wristbands to
raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Eastern N.C.
while Rowe's family donated bottles of Shafer's Relentless wine to
Laviolette, signed by Rowe, to give to players who epitomized that
motto.
Friesen's first two 5Ks have raised $43,000 for LLS, but
with Rowe again fighting the disease, he's hoping for more this fall
after everything Rowe did for the team two years ago.
"Everybody knew there was something more important than winning
the Stanley Cup, but it made everybody's focus that much sharper,"
Friesen said. "I honestly think the Hurricanes used that to grow from
and become even tougher throughout that entire Stanley Cup run."
The entry fee is $25 before Sept. 1, $30 after. There's also a
100-yard fun run for kids, $10. Many players and coaches are expected
to participate again, although the team requests that fans not bring
items to be autographed.
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at 829-8947 or 
