Runners pounded the pavement this June in Springfield in honor of deceased Missouri State University alumnus Chris Sifford, who graduated in 1987. Sifford was a radio and newspaper journalist before joining the staff of Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan in the early 1990s. He eventually became the governor’s senior campaign advisor. Sifford, Carnahan and Carnahan’s son, Roger, were killed in a plane crash in 2000 en route to a rally. Sifford was 37.

The Chris Sifford Day at the Ballpark begins with a 5K and 2.5K walk/run that is followed by a Springfield Cardinals game. The event raises money for scholarships through the Chris Sifford Memorial Foundation.

Sifford’s friends and family established the foundation in 2001 to provide scholarships for young people interested in careers in journalism or public service. This year’s Day at the Ballpark raised about $4,000; through the years, more than $55,000 has been donated to scholarships at Missouri State.

The foundation also hosts an annual golf scramble in Jefferson City.

“Chris had all of the good qualities that people strive for in life. He showed love, passion, authenticity and humor in everything that he did,” Clayton Brown, chairman of Chris Sifford Day at the Ballpark, said on the memorial Web site.

For more information visit the Chris Sifford Memorial Foundation.