The British voice of Santa Cruz’s Firecracker Run gets a fitting Fourth of July tribute

The Fourth of July was one of longtime Santa Cruz resident Rod Caborn’s favorite holidays, which his family found a bit funny.

He was British, after all.

But there he was each year, lined up for the annual Sunrise Rotary Firecracker Run adorned in an elaborate red, white and blue costume, ready to run the 10K while also serving as the event’s emcee.

His daughter Cassie Caborn fondly remembered one year when her dad dressed up in pants and a shirt that had matching American flag patterns on them, and waited at the end of the race to congratulate each person who crossed the finish line. 

“He was always kind of the face of it all, because he had this gargantuan British accent and always came with the most amazing outfits and spirit,” she said. 

The Firecracker Run began in the 1980s, launched by the city as a healthy alternative to fireworks. It’s a fully volunteer-run fundraiser event, with all of the registration proceeds benefitting local youth and community organizations such as Safe Families for Children Monterey Bay, which supports families in crisis and keeps children out of foster care, and Santa Cruz County’s Camp Erin, which provides a free camp for grieving children.

The event features a 1K run for kids, a 5K for beginner runners and a 10K through the redwoods of Pogonip. The 10K is known for what participants call “The Hill,” which has a steep incline and takes runners from Harvey West Park to Pogonip. Caborn used to call that portion of the run the “thrill of the hill,” according to Dave Price, his longtime friend and president of the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz Sunrise.

Caborn died in January at age 66 after a two-year battle with ALS, a neurodegenerative disease. This year’s event, set for Saturday, will be held in his honor, complete with a Rod Caborn Spirit Award, which will be given to the participant who arrives in the most “joyful, over-the-top costume.”

“Rod was everywhere, he’s larger than life. Just a wonderful, caring guy, funnier than you’d ever believe,” Price said. “He was the voice of the Firecracker, and we just couldn’t move forward without honoring him.”

Cassie Caborn will present the award, a $200 gift card prize from Santa Cruz Running Company. She will also be running the 10K in her dad’s honor, because he was the one who introduced her and her sister to the sport. 

“We always say he bamboozled us into loving to run, but now it’s a part of our lives,” Cassie said. “Both me and my sister really find great pleasure in it and we always think of him when we’re doing it.”

Along with the Firecracker Run, Rod Caborn was involved with the Sunrise Rotary for over 20 years, and was a Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce ambassador, a Boston Marathon qualifier and an Ironman triathlon finisher. He was also a fixture in the Santa Cruz community, creating a lasting impact for many.

Cassie said that most local kids would recognize her dad as the “Magazine Guy,” because he would organize huge kickoff events with elaborate booths, finding ways to inspire kids to sell magazines to raise money for their schools. He raised millions of dollars for local nonprofits and schools, Cassie said, on top of being a children’s book author and an English-as-a-second-language teacher.

“He was always just the first one there telling someone that they could do it, whether it’s reading, or something athletic, or something in the community,” Cassie said. “He just lived large for his entire life up until the very end, always with the most intense, colorful, vibrant energy.”

Up until the week before he passed away, Cassie said, Caborn was at the Rotary Club looking for ways to help his community and give back. She and her sister joined the club themselves when Rod was first diagnosed, and plan to stay in it for as long as they can to carry on his legacy of helping others.

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