What some people will do for a free t-shirt
Mr. Bell broke the Clinton 5K Race record Saturday morning. He got a t-shirt.
“This gentleman from Texas calls last week and wants to know if he can still enter the Clinton Schools 5K Race (held last weekend),” Clinton City Director of Schools Kelly Johnson said Monday morning.
“And he wants to know if he can still get a t-shirt. Because if he can’t get the t-shirt …”
Very mysterious, very odd … In a cool sorta way.
Because not only did “Mr. Bell” want to get a t-shirt, he also asked Johnson if she could find out if one of the sponsors of the race would double their commitment if he broke the previous 5K record.
Well … You bet.
Sure enough Git ’N Go Markets agreed to double its commitment if Mr. Bell broke the 5K course record.
The 5K race is held annually to raise funds for the Education Foundation for Clinton City and Anderson County Schools.
“I thought it was pretty awesome … Here’s this man and he wants to generate a little more money for the foundation,” said Jamie Jordan, Coordinated School Health Clinton City Schools.
So, who is this wiry Texan with a penchant for 5K races?
“I asked him if he was from Clinton, or any surrounding area … Knoxville maybe? Or if he had any connections with anyone in Anderson County,” Johnson said.
“None. No connections whatsoever. He just wanted the t-shirt.”
And to try to raise a little more money for the Education Foundation.
Which he did. The course record had been 17:34 for the 5K run.
Mr. Bell finished in 16:46:86.
And he got his t-shirt.
And the question remains, “Why did he want the t-shirt?”
Easy.
“His name is Clinton,” Johnson said. “He goes by ‘Clint,’ but his full name is Clinton Bell. He read about the race on Facebook or something like that and just decided he wanted to take part and wanted the shirt.”
Not only did Clinton Bell break the course record, his wife, Julia, finished third in her age group, and the Bells made an outstanding impression when they gave their door prizes to 1. Police officers, and 2. A family.
“He also called while he and his wife were driving to Bowling Green and asked how much money was raised for the foundation,” Jordan said.
“Who does that? Who flies a thousand miles to run a race for a t-shirt and then is concerned about how much money is raised for kids they don’t know? His focus was on the kids.”
Simple, Good people and Texans.
One last note about Saturday’s Clinton 5K race: 232 people took part, up from 146 last year — and on the same weekend as the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure in Knoxville. Clint Bell didn’t get a final total of the amount raised — as of Monday organizers of the Clinton 5K were finishing paying expenses. Once the expenses are paid a total will be released.
It will probably be a record breaker as well.