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Superhero 5K had simple beginnings

Mild-mannered Mark Grenier says he's no hero, far from it, but his story is a reminder that one inspired person can make a difference this community.

Back in 1990, Grenier was busy working as the assistant general manager of the Las Vegas Stars baseball team when a call came to his desk. He listened as a Little League mother asked for a favor. Could he arrange for a pro ballplayer to come to a Little League game to cheer up a youngster recovering from brain tumor surgery?

Like so many people, Grenier had experience with cancer in his family. He lost his father, Thomas Grenier, in 1984 to prostate cancer.

Grenier couldn't refuse the request. Neither could the Stars. From that moment, Grenier began to wonder if there wasn't more he could do for Southern Nevada's medically fragile children. In the process, he managed to put the grief of his personal loss behind him.

An avid runner who had completed several marathons, he decided to create a running event to raise funds for the Candlelighters children's cancer charity. For the first decade, the event honored the memories of Jared Barney and Jason York, baseball fans who died of childhood cancer. A tradition born in 1990 continues.

Now in its 25th year and called the Candlelighters Superhero 5K with Chet Buchanan, the funds raised Saturday will help the event surpass the $2 million mark in support of the charity. (There's also a 1-mile fun walk. For information and late registration, go to candlelightersnv.org.)

Saturday's run is expected to draw hundreds of participants, but that first event was a pretty humble affair.

"About 75 people showed up," Grenier recalls. "It started at Cashman Field and looped around the parking lot, and we raised about $1,000. But every year it grew bigger and bigger."

A decade ago, the event's organizers began suggesting "teams" participate, and the race evolved into what is now a running, jogging and walking parade.

These days Grenier is a senior account executive at CBS Radio. At 58, he still laces up his running shoes and takes to the road. He wouldn't miss Saturday morning's event at Mountain's Edge Exploration Park at 9275 S. Buffalo Drive.

This year, 20 family members will join Grenier to celebrate the 25th anniversary and honor the spirit of his late father, Thomas.

"Mark is an amazing person and a huge cheerleader for our organization," Candlelighters Executive Director Melissa Cipriano says. "To have a person who has dedicated 25 years to one organization is truly incredible."

ON THE BOULEVARD: With the FBI clearing the air and closing out its analysis of North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee's iPad, he can now return to the much more challenging business of assisting in his city's long recovery. Will Lee give an interview? .... Sources are pointing to GOP veteran Nick Phillips as a possible replacement for embattled Michael McDonald as new chairman of the Nevada Republican Party. State party headquarters have been locked during several recent visits. Guessing that's not a healthy sign. Says Phillips, taking the high road: "To me, it's time to modernize the state Republican Party." ... While organized labor continues to push to raise the minimum wage, the powerhouse Culinary Local 226 is trying to stop the leaking of outsourced jobs at the Palms Resort Casino. It's hard to imagine a casino trying such a move in a previous era. Culinary represents more than 50,000 local casino industry service workers.

Have an item for Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to jsmith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. On Twitter: @jlnevadasmith

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