Annual Run and Health Expo Has Something For Everyone
By Carisa Biesecker
Avid runners and onlookers alike will enjoy this month’s Bay Life Church Global 5K Cross Country Run/Walk and Global 1K Kids Fun Run, especially as this year, the event has expanded to include a Health & Home Expo. The newly adapted expo will take place at Bay Life Church, located at 1017 Kingsway Rd. in Brandon, the same day as the two runs, Saturday, March 13, from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Here, residents will be able to obtain free car seat safety checks by staff from All Children’s Hospital, health screenings through Tampa General Hospital’s staff, blood donation through the Florida Blood Services Bloodmobile, fire safety lessons, food, children’s activities and bounce houses and an introduction to health and home expo booths, including that of the Boys & Girls Club, the Department of Aging Services, Child Safety, Ident-A-Kid and more. The first 100 attendees to sign up with Living Temple Chiropractic will be welcomed to a free wellness seminar. Being its third year running, the Global 5K Cross Country Run/Walk invites runners to the track at 7 a.m., with the race beginning at 8 a.m. The entrance fee is $25 and runners signed up by Tuesday, March 2, will receive a free T-shirt and runner’s goodie bag. The Global 1K Kids Fun Run is geared towards ages 10 and under, with registration taking place at 8:30 a.m., and the race to follow at 9:30 a.m. At a cost of $15, children can sign up, receiving an award and goodie bag for their participation. Both races have a pre-race pick-up scheduled for Friday, March 12, from 5-7 p.m. According to Event Organizer Chris Hicks, the event is held annually in order “to raise money for adult and student missions trips and also provide the community with free health screenings and promote businesses and health-care services within our community.” Last year’s event had a reception of some 500 residents, though expectations for 2010’s event range around a 1,000 with 200 joining in the race. The 2009 race accumulated $17,000. With the expo as an accompaniment, this year’s event is hoped to accrue more than $30,000. “We welcome the community out to a great day of music, food, free health screenings and children’s activities and thank them for their continued support of missions work being done within our community and globally,” concludes Hicks. If you are interested in being a vendor or a corporate race sponsor, please contact Hicks at CHicks@SonFunds.com or 404-0282 or Mary McCullagh at MMcCullagh@SonFunds.com. To participate in either run, contact Betsy Lowe at 661-3696, ext. 234, or register online at active.com.
