HKRS kids and volunteers also want to thank Harry D. Stephens Memorial and the Darke County United Way for adding their support for the Series!
The fall series, held in October, had 75 runners, she said. This was nearly four times more than the 20 youngsters who enjoyed the spring series.
“This was an incredible increase, and one that went smoothly for HKRS. We had a great group of runners, families, and volunteers this fall. The community’s support was overwhelming, and continues to be!” Hays said.
The program saw many runners return and improve on their progress from the spring. The series concluded with a costume run for the runners. There were many smiling faces as the runners got to dress up and race to the finish line!
“The best part of each race was being able to connect with the runners at the finish line. Because I manually take off each name tag on the racing bibs, I can interact and say, ‘great job!’ often before anyone else. Every runner deserves to know they accomplished something, no matter how fast they ran,” Hays added.
This fall, HKRS was happy to welcome amazing volunteers from the Greenville Cross Country Team, Ansonia Cross Country Team, and Edison State’s Communications class taught by Bob Robinson. Many businesses like Up and Running Fitness shoes and Apparel, Zechar-Bailey Funeral Homes, Professional Family Eyecare, Young Forest Martial Arts, and GNB Banking Centers, were series sponsors. Wayne Healthcare Foundation, Win Nutrition, and many individuals helped support the series through monetary and product donations.
Some individuals in the community also sponsored several young athletes in the community to run in the series! Now, Healthy Kids Running is happy to announce that the Harry D. Stephens Memorial Inc and Darke County United Way have graciously helped to fund the next year of races! This is the first time HKRS Greenville has applied for any grant funding.
“This funding is going to help the program more than I can express. I am so thankful and look forward to putting the funds to good use in the coming months. It has opened so many possibilities for the spring, we have so much in store!”
The spring dates for the series will be announced very soon, so keep an eye out for the dates.
“We hope to see our runners return, as well as some new faces. It is important to us to have runners from all around Darke County come together for this. Until spring, we wish everyone healthy wishes, and don’t forget to Get Up and Go!”
If you have questions contact Elise at greenvilleoh@healthykidsrs.org, or visit the Healthy Kids Running Series Greenville, OH Facebook and Instagram pages to see the most current updates. For more information visit the website Healthy Kids Running Series and search for the Greenville program.
