Family of William A. Irvin excited to be part of the 5K for the first time

A group of 17 people who are descendants of William A. Irvin will be running/walking in the William A. Irvin 5K on Friday.

His great-grandchildren didn’t even know the race had his name until last year, when a cousin signed up to run the half marathon.

Michelle Lowry was flipping through the email she received about the marathon, when she noticed the name Irvin. “I went, wait a minute. This is awesome. And I sent a picture to Susan,” she told us.

That’s when it all got started.

Susan Barnett, one of great-granddaughters, said, “We were definitely excited when Michelle let us know. We said who wants to go? And everyone raised their hands. There are 17 of us participating.”

“I like how it keeps the family learning about the family. And it keeps getting passed down from generation to generation. That’s pretty cool,” added Bob Hirsch, a great-grandson.

They also toured the laker that bears his name.

Cathie Hirsch, another great-granddaughter, added, “This is our second time on board. And being able to bring the rest of the family along, adds another layer. We are very blessed.”

Barnett said that the memories from their dad about Irvin are that he was an advocate for the steelworkers. Irvin was also a former president of U.S. Steel. The family also used to take trips to Canada.

Good luck to the Irvin clan on Friday!