A sea of green met John Wampler as he took the stage Saturday at the eighth annual Lizzy’s Walk of Faith 5K Walk/Run. Participants, wearing matching green shirts, listened as Wampler told the crowd about his daughter, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Wampler, and her battle with cancer.

Lizzy, a 10-year-old from Columbia, died in 2018 after a battle with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Lizzy’s parents, John and Jennifer Wampler, began Lizzy’s Walk of Faith Foundation and its 5K later that year.

The first 5K, held in September 2018, drew around 500 participants to the Twin Lakes Recreation Area. This year, the race hosted more than 1,200 runners at Cosmo-Bethel Park.

As the number of attendees has grown, so has the entertainment. Princesses, superheroes and jugglers were all in attendance at this

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