CHARLESTON – Leslie Whiddon of Blythewood and her oldest son Thomas have participated the Cooper River Bridge Run several times over the past few years. When her youngest son Timothy wanted to join his mother and brother in the run this year, they made it a family weekend.
Instead of her artist husband Patrick waiting around for the family to return from the race, he volunteered with the race organizers.
“I was allowed to create this year’s image along the finish line and also feature sponsor Harris Teeter stretched across the street,” Patrick Whiddon told The Voice.
“So, 30 plus thousand people crossed over my art in that one day!” he said.
A photographer from the Charleston Post and Courier happened along as Whiddon was drawing and took a few photos of his chalk art impression of the official race pelican, which was featured for this year’s race design. Whiddon’s photo ran in the next day’s paper.
This year’s Cooper River Bridge Run was the 47th annual, held Saturday, April 6 in Charleston.