An April Run For Olivia

On February 6, 2007, the Sunrise Meadows community in Saratoga Springs was violently shaken when the Roper home exploded. April Roper and Questar worker Larry Radford were killed. There had been a gas leak out in front of the home that had been taken care of, when Larry Radford came to relight the pilot light in the Roper's home, April went with him to show him where to go. Seconds later the home exploded, it had been filled with gas. April's husband Greg, and their 18-month-old daughter, Olivia, were just outside the home with a friend, waiting to go on a walk.

April and Greg Roper had just moved into their new home from our ward about a month and a half earlier. I won't say that I knew them well, because I didn't. I just knew of her and I thought she had an adorable daughter with this cute, curly hair. Greg was The Chief's home teaching companion, though only for a short while. This incident, however, rocked our ward. It's been especially hard to think of Greg and Olivia having to witness the explosion and the death of their wife/mother. I can't imagine how hard that must have been. If I think too much about this, I start to get weepy. She was younger than I am! A new mother with so much to look forward to in life. I almost feel sorry for her because she can't stay with her loved ones. However, I'm sure she's in a much happier place, keeping busy with missionary work while she waits for her loved ones to come join her.

So, yesterday, we joined hundreds of other people in "An April Run For Olivia," a 5K run/walk fundraiser to help little Olivia through the loss of her mother. The Chief and I walked/jogged at a pretty good clip with the boys in a double jogging stroller once again provided by Zach and Brooke (thanks guys!). Buddha loves "racing day." And this time he even got to race in his own race...a 100 meter race for 0 to 2-year-olds. He had a great time. The whole event was well planned and well executed, I thought. It seems like the event planners thought of everything. After we finished racing, we were given flowers and allowed to walk up to the location of the demolished home. We stuck the flowers in the fence. One for each of us. It was pretty somber there, with many weeping openly on being confronted with the reality of what happened. It blew me away to stand that close to where someone died tragically. What a terrible loss! At this time we wish to join with countless others to wish Greg and Olivia the comfort, healing, and peace that only love and faith can provide. We know our Heavenly Father is looking out for them.