31st Cannonball Run to start with a bang in Preston Thursday
Jun. 14—PRESTON — The cannon still will sound on Thursday to start the 31st Liz Harris Cannonball Run Road Race, but there will be one empty chair at the front of the starting point for this popular, festive event.
Event founder and part of its namesake, the Rev. David L. Cannon, died March 22 at age 84 after a lengthy illness. Although he had not attended in recent years, race director Phillip Ludlow said the retired pastor of St. James Episcopal Church always was invited. This year, the event T-shirt will bear an illustration of Cannon, drawn by Ludlow's granddaughter, Willow Ludlow of Preston, a sophomore at Norwich Free Academy. Cannon's daughter, Ruth Friess of Gales Ferry, approved the shirt design. About 30 event sponsors will be pictured on the back.
"It was his baby," Phillip Ludlow said of the Rev. Cannon, the race director "since day one."
Participants will gather at the former school grounds on Schoolhouse Road about 6 p.m. Thursday. Registration is $20.
The one-mile Schoolhouse Road will be closed to vehicle traffic at 6:15 p.m., and the cannon will be fired at 7 p.m. to start the race.
Prizes will be awarded in several age categories, with a bonus $50 prize if the overall winner beats the event record one-mile time of 4:25. The first prize for the top high school boy and girl racers is a scholarship for one week at the Green Mountain Running Camp. The winner for fastest race time in the under age 10 category each year receives the David L. Cannon Trophy.
In all, more than 100 prizes will be awarded, Phillip Ludlow said.
Cannon founded the event in June 1992 following the death of beloved St. James parishioner Liz Harris, who was active in many roles for youth throughout the Preston community. She was a school bus driver, religious education teacher, volunteer in Preston schools, Board of Education member, Girl Scouts leader and member of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Harris, known as "Auntie Liz," died of a brain tumor at age 45.
Because of Harris' ardent support for youth activities, Cannon and other St. James leaders wanted to launch an event in her name to raise money for local youth programs. Phillip Ludlow, who was involved from the start, said at first, the fundraising was for youth programs in general. Then the group centered on youth summer camp scholarships, because that was an area of big need.
Cannon, too, was a lifelong supporter of youth activities and education. He served on the boards of trustees for regional community colleges and passionately advocated for equal access to education, and also served on boards of multiple human services organizations in the region.
Even after Cannon retired after having served as St. James vicar for nearly 50 years, he always was invited and attended until his health failed. "He was always invited, always sat up front," Phillip Ludlow said.
The race turned into a vehicle parade with the onset of COVID-19 in 2020 and was canceled last year.
Already this spring, even before Thursday's marquee event, with funds raised at a golf tournament, the group has funded 27 summer camp scholarships, including Scouts camps, local summer camps and even will send seven Norwich Regional Technical High School students to the Skills USA camp, a national showcase for tech school students.
"That was a big one for this year," Phillip Ludlow said.
