By Amanda Amsel
Staff Writer
As township residents head to the polls this Tuesday, many may notice a township employee running past their home.
On Election Day, Nov. 4, Franklin Township firefighter and union president Ron DeLozier will run 50 miles in an effort to get out the vote. DeLozier decided to run every mile of roadway in the township to remind residents to exercise their right to vote.
“The township has 37.7 miles of roadway, but because of how the streets are laid out, he has to run 50 miles to cover the entire township,” said Chas Adams, a lieutenant for the Franklin Township Fire Department.
Adams said it should take DeLozier about eight to nine hours to complete.
Running continuously the entire time, DeLozier will start at 8 a.m. and finish a few hours before the polls close.
An avid runner, this is not the first time DeLozier has participated in a challenging run. This past summer, he ran 100 miles over 30 hours during the Mohican 100. For that marathon, he ran for 30 hours straight, only stopping at aid stations for food, water and feet checkups.
“The difference between that event and this event is that he had no time to prepare,” said Adams. “He literally decided to do this on a Friday and has a little over a week to prepare.”
Part of the motivation for DeLozier’s run is also to show support for Issue 35, the Franklin Township Fire Department’s 5.12-mil permanent property tax levy.
Throughout the day, different township officials, fellow firefighters, civilians and other supporters of the levy plan to join DeLozier, either running with him or following in their cars. Supporters will wear t-shirts, pass out information cards and hold up signs showing support.
DeLozier will end his run at Franklin Township Fire Station 192 on Sullivant Avenue.
“While obviously we support the levy and wanted to bring as much attention to it as possible, this isn’t all about that,” Adams said. “We want to encourage everyone to get out and vote. There is typically a low voter turnout in this area, so if we remind one person that it is Election Day, then we win.”
According to Adams, one of the best things about being an American is our right to vote. He said he feels everyone has a responsibility to participate in our election process.
“Voting is one of the most important civil liberties we have,” he said. “Every person should vote in every election, no matter how large or small the topics are. It is just as important to vote on local issues as it is on the whom the next president will be.”
