Greta Hodge held the first Jim Hodge Memorial Run in 2021 in honor of her late husband, Jim Hodge. Jim was devoted to the community his entire life. He worked for the Menominee Public School system and served in leadership roles for many local organizations, including President of the Bay Area Medical Center Board. After given only two years of survival, he underwent a lung transplant and more hope and endurance than anyone should need but lost his battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis, a condition that damages the lungs and impairs the transfer of oxygen to other organs.

Jim volunteered with the Menominee Middle and High School Track and Field programs. A year after Jim passed, Greta and her family were looking for a way to remember Jim and remind his friends, family, and community what was important to him and what he meant to them. Greta and her family came up with the idea of a run/walk which was greeted by many that first year, so they decided to keep going forward.