Volunteer of the Year 2022: Dave Corn

Dave Corn moved to Winston-Salem in the Fall of 1988 for work. Being new to the area, he and his wife were looking to meet people. “I do not recall now who invited us to come out for a social run, but I do recall it was the ‘Biscuit Run’ on Sunday morning,” Dave recalls.

That Sunday, 20–30 people showed up for the run, followed by breakfast at K & W Cafeteria. “Everyone in the group that morning was welcoming and just flat-out fun to be around,” Dave says. “But what really impressed me was how positive and encouraging they were. It became immediately apparent that this group was something I wanted to be a part of. So, I joined the Club near the end of 1988.”

Dave soon joined other runs with the group, including Monday-night “fat-burner,” the Wednesday-evening “Hill Loop Run” and Saturday long runs. The club was as much social club as athletic organization, and many evening runs were followed by a visit to a local bar. “One of the Wetherhold-isms—from longtime TCTC member and Ultimate Runner race director Sandy Wetherhold—that was often repeated back then was that ‘we were a drinking club with a running problem,’” Dave jokes.

The running was a benefit, he notes, but the real draw was the people. “Runners have an attitude that is difficult to describe and not easily found,” he says. “We are competitive, willing to bear discomfort for the sake of self-improvement, and are positive in attitude and action. This was what attracted me to the Club so many years ago and this is why I am still a member today.”

Dave began volunteering almost as soon as he joined TCTC. If he wasn’t running a race, he was happy to help out at the finish line, or mark the course, or hand out bibs and T-shirts. “Frankly, we all were,” he says. “What I did was nothing special.”

He was able to put in more volunteer time after he retired, and he’s now part of a dedicated team of race timers who work numerous races—both TCTC and other community races—each year. This task has changed dramatically from earlier races before chip timing, Dave notes. The technology of running and races has developed exponentially over the years.

Dave views volunteering as something positive he can do to support a sport that is healthy both physically and mentally, something that builds character. Remembering the significant number of people worked the races he ran over the years, Dave sees volunteering is a way to give back.

“I also volunteer because I like the people I work with,” he says. “Timing a race is a serious job and we take it seriously, but we also have a lot of fun doing it. The TCTC people I work with are a hoot.”

He also likes volunteering because of the energy that surrounds a race. Being around runners motivates his own running. “I like being a part of all that nervous energy. There is the anticipation at the start, exhausted relief at the end and a whole lot internal discussion and determination between,” he says.

Does he have any funny or heartwarming stories from his time as a volunteer?

“There are too many to count!” says Dave. But two stand out.

A few years ago, he was working the 10K finish line at Salem Lake. All but one of the runners had finished and the only volunteers left were Bill Walker, Dennis McNeil and Dave. Dennis and Dave were anxious to tear down the finish line. “But Mr. Walker was having none of that,” Dave says. “As long as a runner was out on the course we were going to keep it open. So we waited.”

Finally, the runner came into sight, her gait an over-fatigued shuffle. She was willing herself to the finish line. When she crossed, she fell into the arms of her waiting family and burst into tears. “Later she came over and thanked us for staying,” Dave recalls. “In a tearful voice, she explained that after almost dying, she had lost 150 pounds and was now working to get her health back. Her accomplishment, sincerity, gratitude, and humility have stuck with me.”

In another race several years ago, the Piedmont Federal 5K at Grace Court Park, Greg McGrath was slated to shoot the starting pistol. Bruce Sprinkle loaded it, showed Greg how to use it and laid it down. While the National Anthem was being sung, Greg picked up the pistol in preparation of the starting of the race.

When the words “… the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air …” were sung, somehow the gun went off. “To this day he is unclear how the pistol became cocked and the trigger pulled,” Dave remembers. “At any rate the front runners took off, running over Greg, the young lady singing, and a race volunteer or two. And once the horses escape from the barn, there is no getting them back.”

Fortunately, Bruce started timing the race when he heard the gun (or at least said he did) and the runners ran the race with no one the wiser … until now.

Volunteering with the track club has given Dave years of memories and lifelong friends. To anyone considering joining the ranks of TCTC volunteers, he says, “What have you got to lose? You devote a little time to do something that does so much good and is fun besides. That sure sounds like a win-win to me.”