Kristin Harty

Times-News Staff writer

CUMBERLAND — Fred Cook tried six years in a row to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Failed every time.

Then on Oct. 5, the Fort Hill High School graduate and cancer survivor traveled to Corning, N.Y., to try one more time.

He scored.

“I never ran before I got sick,” said Cook, of Cumberland, who eased into running after completing treatments for tongue cancer in 2002. A heavy smoker for decades, he quit in 1996.

“I haven’t run pain-free,” said Cook, whose rigid training schedule includes 4- to 20-mile runs five days a week. “A little bit of heel pain, but nothing that’s shut me down.”

Cook, who will run in the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20, is bringing that same kind of dedication to the Allegany County school district’s Greenway Avenue Stadium project, which is desperately short of funds.

The weekend following the 26-mile Boston Marathon, he’s organizing a 2.62-mile “mini-marathon” in Cumberland to benefit the stadium fund.

“It’s hard to explain to people who aren’t from here how important the stadium is,” Cook said of the 73-year-old stadium used by both Allegany and Fort Hill high schools. He graduated in 1967 from Fort Hill, where he played football freshman and sophomore years.

“The stadium has a lot of history,” Cook said. “In 1964, Lyndon Johnson came there. I can remember the helicopters landing on the field.”

Past fund-raisers, though successful, have fallen short.

Last month, the Allegany County Board of Education learned that renovations are expected to cost about $3 million — more than twice as much as $1.3 million the district has in the bank for the project. A committee has worked for more than two years to compromise on plans.

Renovations include re-building visitors bleachers, locker rooms and concession stands. Plans have already been trimmed to save money, eliminating a field house, coaches offices and showers for the home team locker room. The project hasn’t gone out for bid yet.

During a budget meeting last week, board member Tom Striplin lamented the fact that additional funds had not been designated to the Greenway Avenue project. The board has already contributed $1 million.

“I guess that project’s on hold unless some other funding comes up,” Striplin said at the March 3 meeting.

Cook and others remain hopeful that the community will step up.

“In these economic times, it’s tough,” said Paul Green, athletic director at Fort Hill. “Everybody’s being pulled in different directions. ...We’ve had some little fundraisers, but when you need a million dollars, a couple thousand doesn’t amount to much.”

Green has been promoting the mini-marathon, which is to start and end inside the Greenway Avenue Stadium.

“I’m going to all the organizations, anyone who uses the stadium, I’m encouraging them to run or walk,” Green said. “We think we can raise quite a bit of money with this.”

Cook, who participates in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and other related fundraisers, got the idea for a stadium fundraiser after running several marathons that started and ended in football stadiums. His father died of lung cancer at age 56.

“It costs $5 to go to a football game,” said Cook, who attends Fort Hill games religiously with his wife, Della. “We’d rather do that than go to a movie.”

Though the school board’s budget will be tight next year, member Jeff Metz said he anticipates contributing some additional dollars toward the stadium project. But it can’t make up a $1.5 million gap.

“Things like this gentleman’s doing are super,” Metz said. “That’s the kind of grass-roots thing the community needs to do. Every few thousand dollars add up.”

Contact Kristin Harty at kharty@times-news.com.