It has been my privilege to be part of Western States 100 for the last 24 years. For most of those years I have been a part of the coordination of the Last Chance Aid Station. Here is what I know about the early history and start of our club's participation in the Aid Station.

In 1981 an early Strider Board Member, Bob Downs, was asked by Phil Gardner (then Vice President of Western States) to help him devise and keep records of runners times. Bob in 1982 asked Kathy Stinson (later to become the wife of our early club president Larry Gomez) to sponsor with the help of the Stevens Creek Striders Club members the Last Chance Aid Station in exchange for a club entry in 1983. Larry Gomez, who I think that year was supporting Ray Clark or Lee Schmidt, had gotten the Western States Bug. Since he wanted to make sure he could run the race in 1983, he strongly encouraged his girlfriend Kathy and fellow club members to help out at Last Chance. You could say it was a little politically driven, but I must confess that the club entry helped a lot of us, myself included, get into the race, especially after the lottery system was put into place.

In 1983 Tom Williams, Ernie Flores and myself paced Larry Gomez in his first entry into the race, and we all got the Western States Bug. Larry was our club's first Silver Buckle Winner. That same year Kathy Stinson again helped put together a group from our early club to run the Aid Station. I believe some of the early volunteers at the aid station were Shelly and Rich Grieb, Lirio Guevara (who the club names our yearly Big L award after), Julie Bryson, Terry Seyfarth, Al Morotti, Don Savant, George Black, Jim Lamb, Rich Siemens, Charlie Snygg and Lenore Sheridan, who continued to coordinate the Aid Station in the early years for the club. The first few years the aid station was setup in the meadow, and we just used the spring water for the runners. It was a very low key station, but the club members received many ardent accolades for a great job well done. The Levi and Nike sponsored volunteer T-Shirts of the early years were also a keeper. This increased the willingness of our members to return each year to help out. The campfire stories and the great fellowship camping over the weekend has been a highlight for the members who have participated. Visits by miner Bob and his dogs have added to the folklore of the history of this old gold mining ghost town.

Starting in 1985, Tom Williams and I teamed with Lenore Sheridan, and then later Martha Landis, to take turns as Aid Station captains until 2000. The tradition continues on. Some of the faithful long term helpers I can think of are Carol Borders, Pat Koren, John Felde, George and Shelley Black, Bob Campbell, Rich Siemens, Dick Wedge, Bob and Margaret and so many more. The new club leadership has continued to support this effort each year.

The earliest photo of the club at Last Chance that I have is from 1988 or 1989. Finally, all I can say is that the road into the aid station has gotten better over the years and the mosquitoes have gotten worse.

Jerry H