This past Saturday morning was the 4th annual Sgt. Christopher Monica Scholarship 5K at the Central State Hospital grounds.
Each year volunteers and members of the community come to celebrate Monica’s legacy and give back to the community that he served to protect. Monica served the Georgia Department of Corrections for eight years and was killed in the line of duty.
All proceeds of the race go to an Early College student program. For the past four years, the event has been run by members of the Monica family, including daughters Ashley and Zoe Monica as well as wife Denise Monica.
The Monica family discussed the event’s impact and what it means to celebrate Sgt. Monica.
“He believed in education so much,” Denise said. “His parents weren’t the best, so he and his siblings never graduated high school. He did go back and get his GED. He was looking forward to going and doing some college classes, because education was important to him.”
“This just seemed like a very fitting way to give back, to those that could use a good up in education and keep his memory alive,” Ashley said. “The community has been so well-receptive and supportive. A lot of local businesses give donations, whether it be a cake, shirt, or financial donations.”
The Monica family recalled a time when they were able to help a student with their academic goals through the event. An Early College senior was able to receive financial aid from the scholarship to get into the University of Georgia. The Monicas said they continue to receive updates from this student, who has even come back to run the race again.
A friend of the family, Tyler Crow, also helps the Monicas run the event. His connection with the family has influenced him to give back. Crow talked about his passion for what they do and his hopes for the event’s future.
“Once Zoe’s dad passed, we quickly bonded over such a unique experience,” he said. “We have similar pasts with my own father passing 2011. Their family is so loving. They open their arms to everybody, and they always want to give back to the community. I definitely think this race will grow. We’ve had people from North Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas come to be here.”
The Monica family plans to continue the race for years to come in hopes of helping students striving for higher education.