Rotary 5K and Corporate Challenge Race
Calling on all runners and walkers! The Glens Falls Rotary stages a 5K Road Race and Corporate Challenge in April of each year. Proceeds from the event are given to two deserving local charities each year as nominated by the club membership and decided by the Board of Directors . The race is held at the SUNY Adirondack campus on Bay Road in Queensbury.
The club decided to make this an annual fundraising event to help support local agencies who may need additional financial support to carry out their work in the community. Each year the Glens Falls club donates thousands of dollars to charitable organizations who may need financial help. "We think we can do more to help and we certainly are seeing the increased need in the past few years", said John Fitzgerald, Public Relations Director for the club. "Each year The 5k has grown from the previous year and it has continued to be a huge success.. The Open Door Mission, WAIT House, and The Adirondack Samaritan Counseling Center are just three of the local agencies, among many others, who have been our designated beneficiaries in the past six years. We have quite a few experienced runners in our club who also have managed other race events. With the help of our partner and primary sponsor, SUNY Adirondack, we were able to establish an exciting and healthy event for the community that is benefiting a lot of people".
Said President Cindy Amell, "We are always monitoring the needs of organizations in our community, and we asked the club membership for suggestions on which agencies needed some additional help. For example, The Warren, Washington CARE Center and STARS were two organizations both doing incredibly important work for our children and families in the community and they often work closely together. We have supported over a dozen agencies in our community since the inception of the race and we hope we will continue to do more through the support of our runners in this great event."
The Rotary 5K, which has been accredited by USA Track and Field, begins and ends at the SUNY Adirondack campus. Race Director Jim Goodspeed emphasized that "It's a relatively flat course winding past the Glen at Hiland Meadows, down Meadowbrook Road to Cronin Road and back up Bay Road to end again at SUNY. It's a great course with great views and is especially accommodating to runners and walkers of all abilities. We have a great turnout each year with nearly 500 participants. A few years ago we added a Corporate Challenge feature, encouraging local businesses and organizations to compete in this team event. It was time to get a group together and start training for fun and a healthy life style at the Rotary 5K. We hoped it could become a very special event in April each year that would attract lots of people from our community and well beyond. Now that the word is spreading, we anticipate an even larger turn-out this year." Check in begins at 8AM with the race starting at 10AM. Check in and post race activities will be held at the Student Center.
For more information or to register on line or by mail, go to www.glensfallsrotary.org or active.com. Applications for the annual Rotary 5K will be available each year beginning usually in January and may be dropped off at the Glens Falls YMCA on 600 Glen Street or the downtown LARAC office at 7 Lapham Place. The entry fee for the race is $20.00. The club is also seeking individual and corporate sponsors to participate in the event.
The Glens Falls Rotary Club is a community service and business professional organization aiding charitable causes both locally and worldwide.
The club meets every Thursday at noon at the Queensbury Hotel. The club can be reached at P.O. Box 2702, Glens Falls, NY, 12801 or online at www.glensfallsrotary.org .