Both the Mighty Four Miler, which would have raised money for the Riley Howell Foundation Fund, and the Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon, will no longer take place as scheduled. These races will instead be held in Waynesville on Saturday, Oct. 24. Runners who are not able to race in October will be allowed to credit their entry fees toward the 2021 races. 

The Riley Howell Foundation Fund seeks to help people affected by gun violence in honor of Howell, who died on April 30, 2019, after he charged a gunman who opened fire in the classroom where he was a student at UNC Charlotte. Investigators said that Howell’s actions undoubtedly saved multiple lives, but he lost his own in the process. 

Donations to the fund can still be made online at www.rileyhowellfoundation.org/donate or by mailing checks with “Riley Howell Foundation Fund” in the memo line to CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville, NC 28803.