Ditched Bloomsday garb finds home

On Monday morning, Geiger Corrections officials wondered what to do with the thousands of pounds of discarded running gear collected by an inmate work crew following Sunday’s Bloomsday.

Typically the clothing is donated to the Union Gospel Mission, but this year the mission director declined the offer.

Before 11 a.m. Monday, Clark Brekke, vice president of Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest, had accepted. By 12:30 p.m., more than 6,300 pounds of sweatshirts, gloves, hats, jackets and other sportswear were delivered to a Goodwill warehouse.

“It’s rare, and very welcome,” Brekke said. “We are always glad, as a not-for-profit agency, to get these donations.”

The clothing will be sorted and cleaned at 12 stores in North Idaho and Eastern Washington, Brekke said.

The items that aren’t salable – those that are stained or torn – will be separated and sold for the fabric.

“Thomas Pitzer, the 67-year-old man who was revived at the finish line following the race, was in satisfactory condition Monday, hospital officials said.

In a brief phone interview Monday, Elaine Pitzer said her husband’s cardiac arrest was a complete surprise. This was his 17th Bloomsday, and he’s also run nine marathons – including four Boston Marathons.

“He was in good shape” leading up to Sunday’s race, she said. “He was very healthy and ran every day. He had no diseases and no heart history.”

Yet, EMS crews said he was clinically dead at the finish line.

Elaine Pitzer had nothing but praise for those who brought him back to life.

“I have several people that I know that have been calling it a miracle that are in the medical field,” she said. “Everything was lined up perfectly.”

“About 40,323 people finished Bloomsday 2007, and race officials are meeting Wednesday to discuss the event, said organizer Don Kardong.

“Next year’s race is scheduled for May 4.