Ten years ago, Treyton Kilar, a seven year old boy from Whitewater, was killed when he was struck by a drunk driver. After his death, the Kilar family was determined to keep his memory alive, and strives to bring awareness for the victims of drunk drivers and bad decision makers. So the Kilar family, along with a number of sponsors, came up with a fundraiser to build and maintain Treyton’s Field of Dreams, a baseball field located in Starin Park dedicated in Treyton’s memory. This is what would come to be known as the Run for Trey, a 5k race for anyone willing to donate for the cause and support the Kilar family. 

“After Trey’s death, our world was shattered,” Mary Kilar, Trey’s mother, said. “But we wanted him to be remembered.”

Flash forward 10 years, and the Kilar family is going strong. Today marked the 10th annual Run for Trey event, and Kilar spoke of her son’s passion for the game of baseball, talking about how he would watch reruns of Brewer games on TV. This inspired her and her family to raise money to build the field. There are also prize giveaways in the form of scholarships awarded to those in the community who display good decision making and who have positive impacts on the community. 

Molly Fuller and her husband Dan started coordinating the event about six years ago. It helps them share their support and love for the community. And in that time, people have always shown up, rain or shine, to donate and participate.  

“We’ve got roughly 300 people here, and that’s the most we’ve ever had. In the middle of a pandemic, that says a lot about the sense of community here,” event coordinator Molly Fuller said. 

Fuller appreciated not only the large number of supporters, but also that everyone followed proper social distancing protocols while still maintaining a fun, positive attitude.

“My girlfriend goes to school here in Whitewater and she told me about it,” runner Aiden McHugh said, “I just figured it would be a good, fun thing to do.”

McHugh, a Madison native, was the first one to finish the race, clocking in at just over 17 minutes. Though this was his first year participating, he was confident he would do it again.

The event is a spectacular display of the resilience of a family who battled through the loss of a child and a community coming together in support of that family. It is also an important opportunity to bring awareness to the issue of drunk driving, as well as other dangerous behaviors, which might just inspire people to bring about positive changes in their lives. Mary Kilar’s message was clear: go out and be the light in someone’s life, just like Trey was.

Information such about runner places and donation proceeds can be found on the Run for Trey website.