DAPHNE, Ala. — The Arthritis Foundation will hold its annual 5-K Jingle Bell Run/Walk on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m,, and the number of participants is expected to be around 750, according to Gulf Coast Area Director Kellie Myers.
“We …
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DAPHNE, Ala. — The Arthritis Foundation will hold its annual 5-K Jingle Bell Run/Walk on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m,, and the number of participants is expected to be around 750, according to Gulf Coast Area Director Kellie Myers.
“We probably have around 25 teams right now,” Myers said, also citing there is no maximum or minimum for the size of teams and there are around 350 people registered to participate in the race.
“We’re expecting to be around the 700 to 750 mark by Saturday.”
Last year, the run brought more than 1,000 participants and raised around $48,000 with all money going to the Arthritis Foundation on the Gulf Coast.
“We’re expecting with the move that we will lose some Mobile County runners,” Myers said, adding that the foundation will be doing a run in Gulfport the following weekend and that may keep some runners in Mississippi from attending.
The race will begin on Main Street in front of Christ the King Church. It will loop through Olde Towne Daphne, heading down Belrose Avenue and Dryer Avenue before circling back down Captain O’Neal Drive and Deer Avenue and finally finishing on Main Street in front of City Hall.
There will be a 5-K run/walk, a 1-mile fun run, an “Elf Chase” race and a “sleep-in” sign-up.
“The sleep-in race is, if you want to sign-up and guarantee that you have a T-shirt, but you don’t want to run in the race, you can sign-up and get your T-shirt and sleep-in,” Myers said.
The elf chase will be a mad dash for children ages 8 and under.
Medals will be given to the top three finishers, male and female, in each age category. There will also be trophies given to the best individual costume, best individual fundraiser, best team costume, fastest team time, largest team, best fundraising team and best team spirit.
Post-race festivities will happen on the front lawn of City Hall, and will include alcoholic beverages and breakfast for race participants, coupons and merchandise in a goodie bag, massages, pictures with Santa Claus, prizes, inflatables for kids and a disc jockey providing music.
The Mobile-based foundation serves Mobile County and Baldwin County, and Myers presented the event to the city after Baldwin County residents requested more events here from the foundation.
“The money we raise locally determines the programs we can do in this area,” Myers said.
Prospective participants can register or request more information by e-mailing kmyers@arthritis.org.
Online registration ends today at www.2010JBRGulfCoast.kintera.org. A $5 fee will be charged for later sign-ups.
Packet pick-ups will be available Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the foundation’s Mobile office, 1011 Hillcrest Road. Requests to pick up packets in Baldwin County can also be made via e-mail.
The Daphne City Council on Nov. 15 unanimously approved the foundation’s request to have the race in the city and the post-race party on city property.
Councilman Ron Scott said that because of tough economic times and with the city trying to cut back on expenses, donations to non-profit organizations might be a little less than year’s past, if there will be any donations at all.
“I think we need to find as many opportunities like this to help as many worthwhile causes as we can,” he said.
Arthritis affects one out of five people nationally, and one out of three Alabamians has the disease, according to the foundation, which has worked to limit arthritis’ affect. The disease also costs the state of Alabama $2.5 billion each year, and around 300,000 children have the disease, the foundation stated.
If you participate
The fees to participate are as follows:
