McKenzie hosting color run

Published 2:11 pm Friday, April 25, 2014

Navy blue and gold will coat the streets of McKenzie Saturday as the young and old alike participate in McKenzie School’s first 5K color run.

The McKenzie PTA is sponsoring the run, and the aim is to enhance the school’s playground area and build an outdoor classroom available to students from Pre-K to sixth grade.

“We’re looking to build a 40 foot by 20 foot outdoor facility that will house toys, a place for our children to get water in the shade, have birthday parties or have classrooms for our older students,” said race director Ginger Bennett.

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“Also, we’re moving some tress and planting some new ones.”

Though an official estimate hasn’t been received, Bennett guessed that the organization would need to raise $10,000 to fund the project.

Bennett added that Martha Lewis, Melissa Scott and Mavis Padgett were all instrumental in getting the necessary sponsors to make the 5K color run happen in the first place.

And though funding the construction of the new facility is the main goal, it isn’t the only one.

“McKenzie has just received a grant for new sidewalks, so we’re sort of trying to encourage our older people, and just people in general, that are in our community to get out and use the new sidewalks — do some walking or ride bikes,” Bennett said. “We’re trying to expose some of that to people that are coming into our town.”

The color run is open to runners of all ages, with participants varying in age from four years to 65 and up.

The $30 registration fee can be paid at the catwalk at McKenzie School beginning at 7:30 a.m., and the race begins at 8 a.m.