FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Susan Poorman Blackie to be Posthumously
Inducted into Houston Marathon Hall of Fame
HOUSTON (December 9, 2015) - The Houston Marathon Committee (HMC) announced
on Wednesday the election of former HMC and Foundation Board member Susan
Poorman Blackie into the Houston Marathon Hall of Fame. Poorman Blackie
will be honored by the Houston Marathon Committee on December 10, 2015 at
the 2016 Hall of Fame Reception.
In a statement issued by Susan's husband, Gary Blackie, and family, they
said, "This is a poignant tribute to Susan's passion for and dedication to
the Houston Marathon and we are deeply grateful to the HMC. It's a pleasure
to accept this special honor on Susan's behalf and in her memory. Susan was
proud and inspired to play a role in helping the Houston Marathon develop
into the world-class event it is today and to work alongside her cherished
colleagues to launch the Houston Marathon Foundation. She would be thrilled
and humbled by this welcome into the Hall of Fame."
A long-time Houston Marathon Committee (HMC) Board Member and a founding
member of the Houston Marathon Foundation (HMF), Susan embodied the
generosity and volunteer spirit which exemplifies the community of people
who make the event possible each year. She was responsible for venue
operations at the George R. Brown Convention Center from 1998-2006 and was
instrumental in organizing Trials Town and the Opening Ceremony for the
2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. She was an HMC Board member from 2004 to
2013. In 2007, Susan established the HMF with current President Maddie
Bunch, Treasurer David Chester and Medical Director Dr. John Cianca.
"In the summer of 2004, Susan courageously volunteered to take charge of
managing the entire GRB Convention Center when another longtime volunteer
unexpectedly resigned," remembered Board President and Race Director Brant
Kotch. "The entire operation that had become her charge was transformed in
hugely positive ways almost overnight. From there, it was an obvious choice
for our organization to add her to our Board of Directors, where she served
with distinction for nine years, always lending a calm and thoughtful voice
to decisions both large and small. When our Committee won the bid for the
2012 Olympic Trials Marathons, she led our effort to introduce an opening
ceremony to the weekend's schedule, something that had never been attempted
for an already groundbreaking event that incorporated both men's and
women's races. Again, her efforts were efficient and her accomplishment
magnificent."
"Not long after the Trials, Susan was diagnosed with the disease that would
ultimately claim her life. For the those two last years, she fought a
remarkable personal battle but even more importantly, she fought a
remarkable public battle by creating a foundation (the Susan Poorman
Blackie Ovarian Cancer Foundation) to help others fight their own battle,"
said Kotch. "The energy, the care and compassion, and the wisdom that she
exhibited in that last challenge and throughout our Committee's experience
with her is sorely, sorely missed."
Susan passed away on July 4, 2014 at the age of 64 and is survived by her
husband Gary Blackie, son Buck Dodson and daughter Mindy White. She will be
greatly missed but her legacy will continue on with the creation of an
annual college scholarship in her name. Susan, who was born in Kingsville
and raised in Bishop, embodied the leadership, generosity and volunteer
spirit that exemplifies the Houston Marathon community of volunteers.
For more information on the HMC Half of Fame and the Susan Poorman Blackie
Scholarship, please visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.
Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC), a Running
USA Founding Member, annually organizes the nation's premier winter
marathon, half-marathon, and 5K. Over 250,000 participants, volunteers and
spectators make Chevron Houston Marathon Race Day the largest single-day
sporting event in Houston. Race Weekend generates over $50 million in
economic impact for the region annually. In 2015, the Run for a Reason
Charity Program raised $2.5 million and the HMC retained Gold Certification
from the Council of Responsible Sport for industry-leading sustainability
initiatives. Host to 16 U.S. Half Marathon Championships since 2005 and the
1992 women's Olympic Trials Marathon, the HMC conducted the
nationally-televised 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, which featured men
and women competing on the same course simultaneously for the first time,
vying for the chance to represent Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games.
For more information, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or call
713.957.3453.
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