BGM teacher challenges others to run, walk, bike or swim 100-miles or more for Mollie Tibbetts

       Morgan Collum, a third grade teacher at BGM, life-long friend and cousin to the late Mollie Tibbetts, is on mission.
       Morgan has challenged friends and family to run, walk, bike or swim 100-miles in remembrance of Mollie.
    “This summer marks five years without Mollie,” Morgan posted on her Facebook page. “If you’ve lost someone close to you, you know how hard anniversaries can be. I’m going to try to run 100 miles (hopefully more) throughout the summer to honor Mollie. I’d love for you to join me--start tracking your mileage now.”
    In previous years, Morgan hosted a “Miles for Mollie” event in honor of Mollie’s birthday, asking participates to run, walk, bike or swim the number of miles corresponding with late Brooklyn teen’s age.
        Mollie went missing on July 18, 2018 while out running on an evening jog.
Instead of hosting the birthday event this year, Morgan decided to beef it up and encourage others to join her by running, walking, biking or swimming 100-miles or more during the summer months.
      “It really has caught on,” said Morgan last week. “My post has been shared more than 150 times since I posted in early June.”
      There are no prizes or awards being handed out. All participants are required to do is complete the task and send Morgan a photo via Facebook. Participants can run, walk, bike or swim or put together a combination of events and have it done by Sept. 1.
      “The post I shared is public so they can send it to me that way,” said Morgan of participants sending her photos. “That is going to work best that way.”
       Morgan said she and Mollie had a close relationship and they both loved to run.
      “I’ve known her all her life,” she said. “We were best friends and like sisters.”
     Morgan said about running, that it helps her work through the grief and others have told her that it has helped them, too.
     “Sometimes you don’t know how to move on from something like that,” Morgan said. “It is nice to have a way to channel your grief in a positive way.”
    In addition to teaching school at BGM, Morgan serves as the head girls’ soccer coach at Grinnell High School.