Saturday run to honor Cortland jogger killed in hit-and-run

CORTLAND

Brittany Szwedko had it all: brains, beauty, a great sense of humor and family and friends who loved her.

“I want to keep her memory alive,” said her mother, Mary Kay Szwedko of Cortland. “This run is to honor her.”

The Brittany Szwedko Memorial 5K Run and Dog Walk on Saturday at Austintown Township Park will raise funds for a scholarship for a Youngstown State University student. All proceeds from the event will go to the scholarship.

Registration begins at 7 a.m. The run starts at 8 a.m. and the dog walk at 8:30. The family plans to award the first scholarship in spring 2017.

About 200 runners are registered for the run, and more can sign up at the event.

Brittany, 27, died March 1 after she was struck by a car while she was jogging a few feet from the roadway three days earlier. She was preparing for both a marathon and a half-marathon when she was hit.

Read more about her and Saturday's event in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.