By QUINT QUALLS
As fall gets under way in Spring Hill, area runners are looking forward to the Grey Ghost 5K this Saturday, Oct. 1.
Packet pick-up for runners is slated for this Friday, from 5-8 p.m. at TriStar Bank off of Main Street. In addition, the first 300 registered runners to show up will be provided with a lasagna dinner from Grecian Pizzeria.
According to John Stephenson, coordinator for the Grey Ghost 5K, last year’s event saw a surge in popularity, mostly because of the local school children, who turned out in droves to run the Goblin Gallop 1K or half-K. Yet many children could still be seen making the full 5K trek around Oaklawn Plantation last year.
“I would say last year we did a great job in participation,” Stephenson said. “We did something a little different for the elementary schools. We had always given back but we changed the pay structure, and it turned out to be a great success. It goes through the local PTAs, the Physical Education Department. Our PE teachers in the community did a great job supporting the event, promoting it and hosting run clubs at their schools.
“We’re expecting to grow even more this year, and I would love to see it continue. Beyond the run, I take pride in it being a great family event in the Spring Hill-Thompson’s Station area, but I also take a pride in providing it for families and hope that people will continue to support it.”
Not only has the event drawn more runners each year, but the Rotary Club of Spring Hill-Thompson’s Station has also managed to raise increasingly more funds for local parks through the Grey Ghost 5K.
For the first time, the Grey Ghost 5K has a presenting sponsor, TriStar Bank in Spring Hill. Considering the local support and the generosity of the event’s sponsors, Stephenson said that the Rotary Club is on course to reach an all-time high in fundraising dollars that will go right back into local parks.
“Overall at Rotary, our official motto is service above self, and this has been a great event for us to help support our community,” he said.
Proceeds of the Grey Ghost 5K and Goblin Gallop go to an organization called Partner 4 Parks, who will then route the funds to various local projects, whether its for renovations or entirely new park features.
For instance, money raised through the Grey Ghost 5K helped pay for the splash pad at Port Royal Park. The funds helped add new equipment at Thompson’s Station Park and the new track at Longview was also made possible through the funds raised at the Grey Ghost 5K that went to Partners 4 Parks nonprofit.
Registration for the 2016 Grey Ghost 5K, presented by TriStar Bank, is still available online at www.GreyGhost5k.com.
The cost for early registration is $35 for the 5K and $10 for the 1K and half-K.
The day starts at 7 a.m. with registration and packet pick-up, followed by the 5K at 8 a.m. and awards at 9 a.m. – plaques are awarded to first, second and third place winners in each age group, in addition to men’s overall, women’s overall and master’s awards.
At 9:30 a.m., the Goblin Gallop kid’s race begins with the 1K run intended for second- through fifth-graders, followed at 9:50 a.m. by the half-K run intended for pre-K, kindergarten and first-graders. From 10-11:30 a.m. attendees are invited to enjoy the kid’s zone area with inflatable bounce houses and carnival-style games, as well as the Oaklawn property.
Quint Qualls covers Spring Hill for Home Page Media Group. Reach him at [email protected].
