Steve Driver died in April 2020, but his presence is still greatly felt in Mount Airy’s tight-knit running and cycling community, which was evident during an event this week at Riverside Park.
About 90 people gathered Wednesday afternoon at the park’s northern end near the starting point of the Granite City Greenway system there to dedicate an archway in Driver’s memory.
This was deemed an appropriate gesture to honor a man considered the best runner in Mount Airy history, who competed in about 40 marathons during his career — grueling long-distance races of 26.2 miles — including the 2019 Boston Marathon.
And Driver probably logged more miles on the local greenway system than anyone else, according to Assistant City Manager Darren Lewis, who also is the former director of Mount Airy Parks and Recreation and a longtime runner himself.
In addition, Driver was known as one of the best bicyclists in the community.
“He was probably one of the most-active individuals we have ever known,” Lewis said of Driver’s stature in local recreation circles. In a 2019 interview, Lewis had even gone so far as to refer to Driver as “a legend.”
His life that was so inspirational to many ended at age 71 on April 16, 2020, when Driver was fatally injured in a cycling accident. At the time, Kim Felts Ross, his niece, found some solace in the fact that her uncle had died doing something he loved.
Yet Driver’s spirit has continued to live on among his fellow runners and cyclists, friends and family members — many of whom ventured to Riverside Park Wednesday to witness the arch dedication.
And after the brief program attendees cycled, ran and walked the greenway in remembrance of Steve Driver.
“Some of the runners and cyclists had spoken to me about doing something in his memory,” Lewis said of efforts that led up to this week’s dedication of the arch.
Other options had been suggested, such as buying a metal park bench in tribute to Driver through an ongoing program in which donations can be made to name that and other fixtures such as picnic tables in honor or memory of someone.
“We felt like a bench would not do him justice,” Lewis said of what prompted the archway gesture ultimately decided upon by local recreation advocates, given Driver ‘s active life during which much of the sitting he did was aboard a bicycle.
“He was one of the least-sedentary people (around).”
Helped many
Steve Driver was defined by more than just his individual sporting achievements, however.
He also was known for helping other people get started with their running careers, including a young lady present Wednesday, Teresa Grey, whom he had met while running on the greenway.
As he did with legions of others, Driver supplied Grey with tips about the sport and she later became a marathon runner herself.
“He helped so many of us,” Lewis recalled during Wednesday’s observance. “That was just the person that he was.”
Driver also played a key role in coordinating the quality running events held locally along with serving in a leadership capacity with Reeves Community Center and aiding a center foundation that provides scholarships for underprivileged students in the area.
“He had no idea how much he had affected other people,” Driver’s widow Judy said Wednesday when given the ceremonial honor of unveiling a plaque mounted on a brick support for the archway which bears his name.
“This arch is dedicated in memory of Steve W. Driver, Oct. 26, 1948-April 16, 2020,” its inscription states. “Forever in our hearts, always in our thoughts.”
“Steve would have been so surprised,” Judy Driver remarked while surveying the crowd gathered Wednesday afternoon to celebrate his life and continuing influence.
“He was an amazing man,” Lewis said.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com