The goal was $7,500.

Reality was better. Much, much better. More than 160 people participated on a chilly morning last Saturday in the inaugural Oklahoma Blazin’ Past Burns 5k and 1-mile run in Kingfisher.

Organized by Hunter Wittrock, the race was created to benefit the Oklahoma Firefighters Burn Camp, which Wittrock has attended for more than a dozen years.

“When Hunter had the vision for the race, he wanted to build sidewalks at the camp for people like him in a wheelchair,” said Bethany Piotrowski, who helped provide some of the legwork in setting up the event along with Hunter’s parents, Jeff and Heather Wittrock.

“We presented our idea to the OKFFBC board and had a proposition of $7,500 to make those improvements,” Piotrowski continued.

So imagine the shock on everyone’s faces Saturday morning when the amount raised was revealed.

$23,166.23. Even Hunter, who organized most of the logistics for the race, wasn’t aware of the amount.

“He truly didn’t know how much money we had raised until that day when we flipped the big check around,” Piotrowski said.

“He had the biggest grin.” He wasn’t the only one.

“We really shocked the board that day,” Piotrowski said. “It was a cool thing to see their jaws hit the floor.”

Piotrowski added it was a true group effort.

“The community really showed up for Hunter and this cause,” she said.

She noted the Integris Burn Unit was on hand to provide water at one stop. Other businesses donated water, Gatorade, oranges and other snacks.

There were 170 people initially signed up for the event, of which eight were volunteers.

Piotrowski said there were also extra participants and volunteers who showed up the day of the race, which was headquartered at the First Baptist Church of Kingfisher.

“It really was a special event,” Piotrowski said.

And, she added, it’s ready to make the leap from inaugural to annual.

“We want to thank the community for what they did and that step they took in supporting the event,” she said.

“And be ready to do it next year. We’re going to do it all over again.”