Get hydrated, stretch those legs and mark your calendars for Saturday, May 13, for the 15th annual Sarah Bush Lincoln Races for all Paces on the Eastern Illinois University campus.
This year, the event, themed “Smiles for Miles,” is raising funds for the SBL Dental Program. The service provides preventive and restorative care for children throughout the area. A dental team visits schools to provide the preventive care while the restorative care is provided on a mobile unit and in the dental clinic at 225 Richmond Avenue East, Suite B, in Mattoon. Volunteer dentists are key partners in the program, providing restorative care in their clinics.
“Our dental program is life changing for countless kids throughout the region,” SBL Healthy Communities Director Laura Bollan said. “Many have never visited a dentist before and need so much help. Others don’t even have toothbrushes, or they share them with siblings. The proceeds from RFAP will help us meet their many needs.”
A fun day filled with five different races is set to take place at EIU’s O’Brien Field, and no matter which race you participate in, medals and t-shirts await all who finish.
Festivities start at 7:50 am, when the 10K run/walk begins. The Family 5K Fun Run/Walk begins at 8:15 am. Participants can enjoy a scenic jaunt around the EIU campus. Registration for both races is $30 and $5 for kids 17 and under. Chip-timing and aid stations are available for all who participate in the 10K and 5K.
Following the 5K, the one-mile fun run/walk starts at 9:30 am. Registration is $15, along with the $5 fee for kids 17 and under.
New this year will be an awards tent for the top three finishers in each age category of the 10K and 5K, and they’ll receive a finish button to add to their medals. Top finishers can also get their photos taken on a top finisher platform.
There will be activities for the entire family in the KidsZone, which includes games and a Ninja Obstacle course.
Also returning this year are the Toddler Trot and the Diaper Dash, allowing the little ones to get a head start on their healthy living. At 10:15 am, the Toddler Trot, for kids ages three to five, starts at the 50-yard line of O’Brien Field. At the same time, kids three and under will also take off from the 50-yard line in the Diaper Dash. There is no registration fee for this, and participants will receive a prize when they cross the finish line.
Bollan said Races for all Paces is a great way for families to encourage healthy habits in a fun way. “Our races are designed to attract people of all ages and abilities, and we are grateful that we can motivate so many people to get active through this event.”
All information for the races, including a registration link, course maps and training plans, are available online at the SBL website at www.sarahbush.org/races/.
If you cannot participate but still want to contribute, a link to donate is available online at the event’s webpage. All proceeds from the event are used to support Healthy Communities Dental Services. SBL thanks RFAP partners for their support of the event: Title partner First Mid Wealth Management; 10K partner KC Summers; and 5K partner Rural King.
For more information or to register, call Bollan at 217-345-6828.