(PHOTOS BY BRIANNA BALOGH / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
FACE PAINTING … Keturah Atkins enjoying the free face painting provided.
RACE START … Runners take off at the start of the 5K followed by walkers.
By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
A drizzly fall morning did not deter participants from the 38th annual CPC 5K and walkathon. Participants began arriving at 9 am to register and enjoy some festivities prior to the run. There were many free activities provided to enjoy.
A few of the younger participants took advantage of the bounce house to warm up before the race. There was also a free face painting station.
Provided by CPC for a free will donation was several food options for runners and walkers, including doughnuts, bagels, popcorn and cookies.
Raffles, drawings, and guessing games were available to participate in prior to the race. A dollar drawing was set up with each ticket costing only $1 with a multitude of prizes to try to win, including Marco’s Pizza, Fricker’s and Dairy Queen gift certificates and many adorable stuffed animal prizes.
Attendees could select pumpkin, gourds, zucchini or corn to take home for a free will donation. Guests were encouraged to try their guessing abilities with tootsie rolls and a pumpkin weight guess.
A T-shirt decorating station was available with paints, decals and stamps to personalize your very own T-shirt.
At 9:45 participants were called together for a group photo in front of the CPC building. Following that participants circled to the back of the building to the starting point.
Mark Pittman, Executive Director and race participant, went over instructions and directions for the race. The route left the CPC parking lot turning north on Van Gundy Dr. down to Buffalo Road and across High Street, with a police officer present directing traffic.
Once across High Street the route veers to the southwest, circling through a few residential areas, before landing back onto Oakwood Avenue for a short period.
Then there was a short leg through Moore Park, before they began to make their way back across High Street to the CPC building completing the race.
When asked by a participant if he would be leading the way, Mr. Pittman chuckled that he would be along the route somewhere.
With the maps in hand and clear markers along the way, the race started at 10 am. The runners started first with the walkers following closely behind. There were several families participating in the walking race, with the smallest participants getting to ride along in a stroller.
The goal of CPC Women’s Health Resource is to provide support and practical assistance for women during and after pregnancy. They provide many free services including pregnancy and STI testing, ultrasounds, baby items, education classes and counseling.
As of 7/31/2024 the CPC in Bryan has held over 3,947 office visits and 2,382 phone calls, logging 4,415 volunteer hours.