Off to the races: September run and walk guide
The summer heat is slowly winding down, but area events are revving up. If you’re looking to get outside and get active this fall, make sure to check out these runs:
Ross Bridge 8K and Health Expo
► When: Saturday, Sept. 1.
► Where: Starts in Ross Bridge Village Center.
Alabama Teen Challenge is holding its 10th annual Ross Bridge 8K and Health Expo on Saturday, Sept. 1.
The 4.97-mile race starts in the Ross Bridge Village Center and winds through six neighborhoods in the Ross Bridge community, including some trails, before finishing at the vintage train station in the village center.
On-site registration for the run starts at 7 a.m., and the race begins at 8 a.m. People can register in advance at active.com under the key words “Ross Bridge.” Medals will be given for the top three finishers in each age group, plus grand prizes for the top male and female. The event also includes entertainment, inflatables and games for kids and health and wellness vendor booths.
About 600 people attended last year’s event, and about 360 runners took part in the race, said Rachel Roberts, an Alabama Teen Challenge life coach who serves as race and expo coordinator. Last year’s event raised about $17,000, she said.
This is the largest fundraiser for Alabama Teen Challenge, which provides residential low-cost drug and alcohol recovery programs for people of all ages. All proceeds from the Ross Bridge 8K and Health Expo go toward the organization’s women’s training center in Hayden, she said.
R(un) for One 5K and 1-mile Fun Run
► When: Saturday, Sept. 8.
► Where: Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.
The seventh Annual R(un) for One 5K and 1-mile fun run will take place Saturday, Sept. 8, at Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.
All proceeds from the run will benefit Lifeline Children’s Services’ (un)adopted ministry, which helps orphans around the world.
It costs $30 per person for the 5K (3.1 miles) and $15 for the fun run if you register by Sept. 6. There is a $5 increase to register on race day. The 5K begins at 8 a.m., followed by the fun run at 8:45 a.m. The race will go through Veterans Park’s scenic trails.
According to Lifeline Children’s Services’ website, only 0.5 percent of the world’s more than 153 million orphans will have the opportunity for international adoption. (Un)adopted specializes in caring for these orphans beyond adoption through local churches.
“(Un)adopted exists to reach orphaned and vulnerable children with the hope of the gospel and equip them with the life skills needed to bring about community transformation,” said Lifeline Children’s Services communications specialist Katie Belue.
Last year, the run raised $130,947, and this year’s goal is $177,000. The proceeds will go to (un)adopted work in Colombia, Peru, Guatemala and 10 other countries.
The race will be professionally timed, with T-shirts for runners. Whole families are encouraged to come. There will be live music, activities and food supplied by vendors.
Head Over Teal5K/10K and Fall Festival
► When: Saturday, Sept. 22.
► Where: The Preserve community.
The Laura Crandall Brown Foundation will have its ninth annual Head Over Teal event in The Preserve community on Saturday, Sept. 22.
The event has always included a 5K but two years ago added a 10K. Both races start at 8 a.m. The event also includes a fall festival with games, children’s inflatables, face painting, pumpkin decorating, crafts and more.
It’s a fundraiser to assist the foundation with increasing awareness of gynecologic cancers, funding research for early detection and providing support for women battling those forms of the disease.
About 800 runners took part in the race last year, and the event raised $62,000, said Lindsay Giadrosich, the special events and awareness coordinator for the foundation.
Early registration costs $35 for the 5K and $40 for the 10K, but runners who register as a team of at least five members can pay $30 per person for the 5K and $35 per person for the 10K. The price increases $5 on Sept. 9. Children ages 13 and younger pay just $20.
A registration link is online at thinkoflaura.org, but online registration includes a processing fee. To avoid that fee, print the registration form and mail it in with a check.
There is limited parking in The Preserve, so organizers encourage people to park at Prince of Peace Catholic Church and take shuttles that will run every 10-15 minutes.
Aga Khan Foundation Run and Walk
► When: Saturday, Sept. 23.
► Where: Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.
The Aga Khan Foundation, an organization that works to alleviate poverty in 33 countries, is holding its 2018 walk and run fundraiser for the Birmingham area on Sunday, Sept. 23, at Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.
The event includes a 5K run at 9 a.m., a 1K run at 10 a.m., a 100-yard dash at 10:30 a.m. and a walk at noon. The three runs all are color runs, said Aftab Jiva, an assistant project manager for the event, which lasts until 2 p.m.
There also will be live entertainment, a silent auction, a henna tattoo booth, food trucks and a “Village in Action” that demonstrates what life is like in third-world countries, Jiva said.
About 2,500 people attended last year’s Aga Khan Foundation Run and Walk, and the event raised about $400,000, Jiva said.
The cost for the 5K run is $25, and the cost for 1K run and 100-yard dash is $15 each. Participation in the walk is free, but donations are welcome. People can register at akfusa.org/Birmingham.
The Aga Khan Foundation partners with communities in long-term investments and projects that include childhood programs, universities, economic development projects and the construction of hospitals and schools, according to the organization’s website.
Arm-In-Arm Walk
► When: Saturday, Sept. 29.
► Where: Veterans Park.
The Arm-in-Arm Walk, benefiting the Southeastern Blind Rehabilitation Center (SBRC) Alumni Association, will return to Veterans Park for its second year on Sept. 29.
Organizers of the 1-mile walk invite participants to walk arm in arm with a blind veteran who has been treated by the SBRC, Alumni Association secretary and treasurer Lynn Pistacchio said. Money raised by the walk allows current patients to enjoy things such as lunch or bowling while undergoing rehabilitation.
“Most of the time when they come, they’re not with their families,” Pistacchio said. It can be lonely to relearn life skills without sight and without familiar people around.
Pistacchio, whose husband was an SBRC patient, said everyone in the Alumni Association has “been in their shoes” and wants to help the next generation of patients.
The SBRC is a 28-bed center run by the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. It offers training in daily living activities, communication, computer access, mobility and visual skills, as well as medical, therapeutic and psychological services for blind veterans.
The Alumni Association also holds the Charlie Boswell Golf Classic in May, and Pistacchio said a feature of the tournament is that the golfers must complete one hole blindfolded.
The goal for the Arm-in-Arm Walk is to raise $5,000 to cater a holiday lunch and provide gifts and other necessities for SBRC patients. Registration is $25 and begins at 8:30 a.m., with the walk through Veterans Park beginning at 9:30.
For more information, contact Myra Harper at 913-8860, Jack Ferrante at 902-5946 or email sbrcaa2018@gmail.com.
Jimmie Johnson III and Sydney Cromwell contributed to this article.