Those who simply cannot wait for Halloween to show off their costumes will get an opportunity to not only dress up, but get active and give back to local schools at the 6th Annual Move Your Bones 5K and Kids Races.
Hosted by Active Orthopedic Medical Corp and the Turlock Triathlon Club, this event will include a 5K for runners and walkers of all ages, a one mile race for kids that are 14 years old or younger and a 400 meter race for kids that are 5 years old or younger.
“The underlying goal of this event is to get up and move,” said Patrick Guerrero, who is the Turlock Triathlon Team coach and an Active Orthopedic Medical Corp physician. “We have had kids as young as one year old participating, so no excuses!”
A portion of the proceeds raised during the event will be given directly to physical education programs and athletic departments at local schools to purchase much needed equipment and materials that will promote healthy lifestyles. Last year, organizers were able to donate over $3,000 to Turlock and Denair schools.
“We donate money to schools because we want to do something more preventive,” said Guerrero. “We want to help people stop being inactive and stop unhealthy habits.”
The Move Your Bones 5K and Kids Races was established six years ago when Guerrero and the rest of the Turlock Triathlon Team sought a way to get involved with the community that would also allow them to encourage and instill active lifestyles.
“Our country is plagued with inactivity,” said Guerrero. “In the age of computers of social media, people are sitting most of the time and kids are glued to the TV and computers. Activity is no longer a part of daily life for most people, so we want people to get out there and be active.”
Guerrero said that the event has grown significantly since its first year, which kicked off with 200 runners. That number increased by an additional 300 runners during the 2014 event and Guerrero said that he is hoping to attract even more participants this year.
“We hope that it only grows from this point forward,” said Guerrero.
The 6th Annual Move Your Bones 5K and Kids Races will begin at 8:15 a.m. for the one mile and 400 meter kids’ races and at 9 a.m. for the 5K on Oct. 25 in Donnelly Park. For a link to the registration visit turlocktriathlonteamclub.webs.com. For more information, call race coordinator Kathy Tullio at 634-2726 or email turlocktriteam@gmail.com.
