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Louis Yuhasz, founder of Louie’s Kids, is shown at the finish line with participants Asia Wright and Mya Sheppard.

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Bucky Buchanan of Louie’s Kids is shown with Louie’s Kids participant, LaRonda Dingle.

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Louie’s Kids participate in the Bridge Run. Shown here is the whole group

Louie’s Kids ‘get over’ the bridge: The real Bridge Run story -

Cooper River Bridge Run race day was  an early morning for 15 kids who have been part of Louie’s Kids Fit Club these past four months.  

The kids, from Memminger, Sanders-Clyde and Mitchell Elementary Schools, Title I schools on the Peninsula of Charleston, were all poised to cross the river and realize a significant first-time fitness goal.

These participants in Louie’s Kids Fit Club, an after-school program for overweight or obese Title I school kids, have all been walking, running and learning to swim as part of the physical fitness regimen designed by Louie’s Kids athletic professionals.  “The more goals these kids realize, the more they’ll want to achieve other fitness goals,” said Bucky Buchanan, program director for Louie’s Kids. “When the bridge run is over for these 15, the top six will go on to the Daniel Island Triathlon. Can you imagine six of these kids finishing a triathlon? Six months ago most were failing in school, failing at home and failing in their health.”

It’s not been so easy to just walk the bridge.

“The bridge has always been a source of fear and or anxiety to most of our kids, for either physical or psychological reasons,” said Millicent Jordan, behavioral therapist for Louie’s Kids Fit Club. “Many in Charleston regularly exercise on our beautiful span bridge, with pedestrian and bike lanes accessible to both communities on each side, but to our kids and a lot of their families, the bridge is monstrous and very ominous.”

One local philanthropist is making it  easier for these kids to realize this amazing goal. When Jerry Scheer heard from Louie’s Kids’ founder Louis Yuhasz about his wish to find a place for the kids to sleep over before the run, to ensure their getting to the race on time, he needed only to be asked once.

“I just know that if these kids are already on the side of the bridge for the race start, they are more likely  to  get across the finish line,” Yuhasz said. “I could barely get my request out of my mouth before Mr. Scheer said he had it all covered. And by all covered, he gave us his personal beach house to use for the night, an amazing gift for sure, an amazing individual.”

The six kids who will be participating in the Daniel Island Kids Triathlon on June 20 are Micah Lancaster, Domonique Minor, Miracle Washington, Mya Sheppard, Kyle Lawrence and Annie Smalls.

Yuhasz said, “Shavonna [Coakley, sixth grade teacher at Mitchell Elementary] and Bucky are the heroes of the day. They stayed the night with the kids the night before. They have worked their tails off getting the kids to this point - countless unaccounted for hours of calling, walking, talking, crying, have been spent getting those kids across that line.”

Coakley said, “the fears demonstrated during practices were null and void on this day.  The look a few of them had on their faces showed “get out of my way,” especially for Kyle and Larhonda (who were always afraid to walk the bridge).  

Coakley also said that she was not sure how to read one child’s look on Saturday; he looked upset or sad. Coakley said that in the end, she found out that it was a look of uncertainty. He explained how hard it was, but he said in the end, “I didn’t complain once.”

Coakley said,  You see, they know it’s hard and they know the road is still long for them- but it’s not as long as it once was for any of them who have followed our program.”

Yuhasz added, “We made sure it was very clear at the end -as a group -to tell them that if anyone ever told them again in their lives that they couldn’t do something, they should look to this day.”