Leading from the heart makes weekend special

How many activities can one area cram into a weekend? Quite a few, apparently, if you follow your heart.

This past weekend saw the beginning of what we hope begin a tradition of giving with the birth of Jacey's Race and Dover Bay Days.

These two events shared the spotlight with the annual Wooden Boat Show, which has only been around for a few years.

Jacey's Race started a few years ago in Colorado when friends of Jacey's parents put together a fundraiser to help the family afford the fight against the cancer that threatened Jacey.

Jacey's Race soon began a tradition and the race helped fund other children's fights against cancer.

Jacey, who is now 10, and her family had the good sense to move here and had the better sense to continue the tradition of Jacey's Race.

On Sunday, runners, walkers and volunteers came together to raise money for two children. Eight-year-old Cody Walker, who suffers from "Prune Belly Syndrome" and seven-year-old Kaley Smith, who is fighting leukemia received gifts as well as proceeds from the event.

Kaley couldn't attend Sunday's race because her white blood count had dropped to dangerous levels.

Thanks, Jacey, for being the official ambassador for the race. To Jacey's parents — thanks for having Jacey and allowing us to be a part of something bigger and better.

Dover Bay Days also turned out to be quite an event. How could one hamburger be worth a few thousand dollars? It is when all of the funds went to Brandon Adam, a local soldier who lost his legs in Iraq.

Leading with the heart feels pretty good.

? David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee.