Four-year-old Jack Stineman used to tell his mom and dad that he loved them “as big as the sky.”

Through tragedy, the expression has made its way onto the sides of water bottles that participants in this year’s Raintree Run will use to quench their thirst.

Jack died after suffering a head injury in a June 2001 automobile accident that also nearly claimed the life of his mother, Jacquie Stineman. Jack had been a student at Raintree Montessori School since he was 2 years old.

Organizers this year are dedicating the April 14 run to Jack and also using it as an opportunity to celebrate the rebuilding of Raintree, part of which burned during a July 2000 fire. The blaze and subsequent reconstruction prevented the annual run from being held last year.

The run, a fund-raising event that has raised as much as $20,000 for Raintree in the past, consists of a competitive half marathon and 5K and a 1-mile fun run/walk. The half marathon and 5K both are USA Track & Field-certified events. Early entries must be received by Wednesday, but participants can register up until the day of the race.

Jacquie Stineman, who still attends physical therapy appointments twice weekly as she continues to recover from her injuries, says she hopes her son’s spirit will inspire run participants. Oversized photos of Jack will greet runners as they begin the final mile of each race.

Stineman said knowing, while she healed for two months after the accident in a Kansas City hospital, that the next Raintree Run would be in honor of her little boy gave her something to look forward to.

“When you could lose all faith and hope of any kind … this kind of support makes you think there really is something good about this place,” she said.

Steve and Marcia Riley, run directors, are expecting around 1,000 people  most from Kansas, some from out-of-state  to participate in the run, which is in its fifth year after skipping 2001 due to the fire.

All race routes start at Raintree, 4601 Clinton Parkway, and then continue south to the walking path along the South Lawrence Trafficway, which will be closed to the public until the races end.

Entry forms are available at local sporting goods stores, health clubs, the Hy-Vee at Kasold Drive and Clinton Parkway and online at www.raintreemontessori.org.