For 40 years, thousands of people have gathered in downtown Franklin on Labor Day to run for a good cause. Since 1999, the Franklin Classic has been the primary fundraiser for Mercy Community Healthcare, a comprehensive non-profit health clinic providing high quality care to middle Tennessee patients of all ages.
Presented by Tivity Health, the 40th Annual Franklin Classic is set for Labor Day (Monday, September 3) on the Public Square in Franklin, offering 5K and 10K races open to anyone regardless of age or skill level, as well as a 1K Fun Run for kids. Registration is now open at franklinclassic.org, and event organizers are inviting anyone interested in serving as a volunteer or committee member to attend a kickoff meeting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, at Mercy Community Healthcare.
“So many people have supported the Franklin Classic in some way, as a runner, a sponsor, a planner or a spectator. Now we have many new people in town, and we want to encourage everyone to get involved as we plan for the 40th anniversary event,” said Cindy Siler, CEO of Mercy Community Healthcare. “Thousands of lives have been touched by Mercy as a direct result of the Franklin Classic, and we hope that this milestone race will be better than ever.”
With a goal of 4,000 runners for the anniversary event, local businesses, churches, clubs, schools and other organizations are encouraged to create teams to run (or walk) the races.
“Every year, we see people who achieve personal health and fitness goals, having worked toward this race for months. It’s rewarding for us to have played a part in someone’s life in that way – and to then use the proceeds to be a blessing in other people’s lives by providing access to quality healthcare,” Siler said.
Those with an interest in getting involved as a volunteer or committee member are welcome to attend the meeting on Wednesday, May 16, at Mercy Community Healthcare, located at 1113 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 202 in the Williamson Square Shopping Center. Those who can’t attend can get involved by sending a note to [email protected].
Other lead sponsors of the 40th Annual Franklin Classic include Williamson Medical Center, Bancorp South, Franklin Synergy Bank, PharmBlue, Tennessee Hospital Association and Judge James Martin. To learn more or to register as a runner, please visit www.franklinclassic.org.
About Mercy Community Healthcare
Mercy Community Healthcare was founded in 1999 as Mercy Children’s Clinic, with a mission to reflect the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by providing excellent healthcare to ALL and support to their families. The non-profit clinic added mental health and social services to its integrated care program in 2006, and expanded to a new facility at Williamson Square on Murfreesboro Road in 2009. Mercy was awarded a grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services designating it as a Federally Qualified Health Center in June 2012, and in 2013, Mercy merged with Grace Medical Clinic and opened the Richard Anderson Adult Center.
As a result of this additional area of focus, Mercy Children’s Clinic transitioned to Mercy Community Healthcare. With its new name, Mercy Community Healthcare seeks to reflect its mission of providing quality, experienced care to everyone – adults, children, insured and uninsured, throughout Middle Tennessee.
As a non-profit community health provider, Mercy depends on the support of private donations to operate. For more information or to get involved, please visit www.mercycommunityhealthcare.org.
