The Peru Gazette

Extracted from the Octoberfest Facebook page

The Octoberfest Event is an annual event in Peru, NY, to raise awareness and money to help the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation find a cure. It is a 5k, 10K, and 20 Mile Bike in which runners and bikers can enjoy an exhilarating walk/run/bike ride through Peru’s apple country and also a 1/2 Mile Kids Fun Run, all to benefit the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in memory of Robert “Chip” Hamilton.

The Octoberfest Event is in memory of Robert “Chip” Hamilton, a local businessman in the North Country who owns the Hamilton Funeral Home of Peru, Keeseville, and Mooers. He was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) in 2008. Though idiopathic means arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause, it is assumed he was affected while in the Air Force.

Over time, Chip’s ability to do daily tasks became very limited. He would become short of breath with simple tasks, like brushing his teeth, answering the phone, and walking just a few steps. He relied increasingly on his portable oxygen tank.

In 2010, Ruth Hamilton LaClair began the Octoberfest Event while her father, Chip, was recovering from a lung transplant in Pittsburgh, PA. After spending four months in the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and his loving wife, Patti, spent four months in a hotel with wonderful family and friends visiting, Chip succumbed to complications with the lung transplant on January 27, 2011.

Through the help and strength of family and friends, Ruth has continued the event each year in his memory.