KANSAS CITY, Mo. — June 29 was Cara Gilmore’s 40th birthday and she decided to run 40 miles in one day.
“It's a little hot, but I'm feeling good,” Gilmore said.
She’s hoping to raise $40,000 for Mothers in Charge, an organization of mothers who’ve lost children in homicides.
“I can get through 40 miles of running, that doesn't even compare to losing a child to homicide so I'm fine,” Gilmore said.
After taking a slight break, the mom of two hugged mom Rebecca Scott.
“It's amazing. I can't believe it,” Scott said.
On Gilmore’s backpack, there’s a picture of Scott’s son, Rodney Peoples, who was murdered on June 11, 2016.
“It's something you never get over, never,” Scott said.
Scott said in this moment she sheds happy tears, not sad ones.
“Always as mothers, we always think about our children,” Scott said. “It's not a day go by that we don't think about our children. So when we think about what everyone's doing for our children is just wonderful.”
Joining Gilmore for part of her run, is Jack County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.
“I thought if this woman can give 40 miles on her 40th birthday, then I can take a long lunch hour and run with her as well,” Baker said. “If you live in the metro area, that means if you live in Blue Springs, if you live south of the river, north of the river, or you live in Kansas in some community in Kansas, this impacts all of us.”
Mothers who’ve never crossed paths are coming together to end to violence in their community.
“I get to go home to those boys every day,” Gilmore said. “I get to tell those boys to pick their dirty underwear up off the floor and there are people who don't get to do that, that don't have kids in their lives anymore and that breaks their heart,” Gilmore said.
She hopes her running makes a statement for people to pay attention and put an end to violence.
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