Runners at Park Ridge Help Fight Childhood Obesity

Duncan Sharrits, the race director, was pleased the race finally had some good weather after a few years of less than ideal race conditions.

“It was really beautiful,” said Sharrits, director of rehabilitation services at Park Ridge. “This is the 18^th year we’ve put this race on, and this is by far the best weather we’ve had. Finally we had a good day with sunshine.”

Thomas Cason blew away the competition, winning the race in just under 16:30. The top female finisher was Sarah Willingham, who finished the race in just over 18 minutes.

Sharrits said the event attracted right around 340 runners for the 5K and another 50 runners for a follow-up 1-mile fun run. The weather was so attractive that some of the men shed their shirts, while many of the other athletes ran in shorts and T-shirts. The runners began the race on the Park Ridge campus and finished at the nearby Lelia Patterson Center.

“Last year we had more people, about 420, run the 5K and another 50 run the fun run,” Sharrits said. “I think the weather before the race made it hard for people to get out and run. You know, from January on the weather hasn’t been very good.”

The races were held in conjunction with a health fair at the Lelia Patterson Center. The event serves as a benefit for Park Ridge Hospital’s KidPower ENERGIZE! Program, a free service offered to the community to help combat childhood obesity and type II diabetes.

“We raised about $5,000,” Sharrits said.

Also at this year’s race, in honor of the hospital’s centennial this year, Park Ridge asked the community and those participating in the event to donate gently-used running shoes. The hospital hoped to collect 100 pairs to give to the Fletcher Goodwill charity.

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