A year ago Saturday was the last time any of Nancy Cooper's friends saw her alive.

The mother of two from Cary disappeared on July 12th, and was found murdered a few days later.

Her husband, Brad Cooper, is in jail charged with killing her.

Friends and family marked the anniversary with a fun run in Nancy's memory, and it represents the attitude they've taken towards a tough situation.

Hundreds of people raced around Symphony Lake by foot, by stroller and even the occasional Radio Flyer wagon.

"I feel this is the Oklahoma land rush or something!" yelled one man as everyone took off.

A swarm of runners decked out in Nancy's Butterfly Fund T-shirts were celebrating Cooper's life and raising money for Interact to help women trying to get out of abusive relationships.

"Events like this are so important for us," said Allison Strickland with Interact. "It allows us to reach out to the community; it allows them an easy way to get involved with Interact."

For a long time now, friends and family have stressed the importance of trying to take something positive out of what's been a horrible situation.

They say this couldn't have been a better way to do it.

"It was a lot of fun. I think [there was] a lot of enthusiasm," said Nancy's friend, Jessica Adam. "Everybody was pretty happy to be able to do something today."

And whether they were first across the finish line or took a more leisurely approach, everyone was on the same page.

For those closest to Nancy Cooper, it was the perfect type of event to remember someone known as an avid runner.

"I've got a lot of memories about this weekend," said Nancy's sister, Krista Lister. "And it's important for me to come and be with who she was closest with when she was here."

And at the end of the morning, everyone capped things off with personal messages to Nancy written on white balloons.

"I just wrote: 'We made it, Nan. You would be so proud,'" said Adam.

Most of Nancy Cooper's family still lives in Canada, and they're having a run of their own tomorrow in Edmonton.

To donate, click here and select "Nancy's Butterfly Fund" from the dropdown list, or send a check to 1012 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, NC 27605.  For more information, call 919-828-7501. 

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Keep up with the stories Chris Cowperthwaite is working on every day: http://twitter.com/CCowperthwaite.