SALISBURY — The trail was marked with checkered flags and after the countdown by David Freeze, children and adults took off for the annual Fun Run held at Partners in Learning Child Development and Family Resource Center.
The run, held April 15, was a fundraiser for the center with proceeds going to help provide funds for the classrooms for their curriculum, said Norma Honeycutt, executive director of the center.
All of the classes had the opportunity to take a turn running on the trail with some adults running along with them and others along the trail cheering them on.
Some of the classes were dressed in matching T-shirts and one class had on super hero costumes complete with capes for the event, but one thing that the children and adults had in common at the event were the smiles they wore.
Tripp Westbrook was all smiles as he showed off his medal that he got as part of the Fun Run. Dad Timmy Westbrook said being able to watch his son run that day was awesome.
“He’s really competitive, but he’s got a great spirit about it too,” said Westbrook.
Members of the Catawba College football team were on hand and volunteering for the event and while one class was running, they would cheer them on or some were instructing the students how to stretch and get ready for their chance to run.
One of the team members, Luke Raykovicz, said that for them, being able to help “means everything. We love Salisbury. We love to support the community it gives us and being able to come out here and just help the kids out and see the smile on their face means the world to us.”
Partners in Learning Board Chair Ceila Jarrett was standing at one point on the trail cheering the runners as they passed by. In sharing about the day, she said, “you are never too young to start to move and enjoy the outdoors and celebrate being healthy and what our bodies can do for us and enjoying cheering on all our fellow students in a family of support.”
Heather Fidler, director of the Woods location, said their fun run is an annual event and is just the best time.
“We have all of the children running, families are out here, Catawba College football is out here supporting the kids,” she said.
She noted that this event is one fundraiser they hold each year involving their families and that the parents push to fundraise for them as a nonprofit.
“They just do a wonderful job and seeing the kids smiles out here running will make me smile for the next week and a half I am sure,” said Fidler.
She also expressed thanks to the families and Catawba friends who came out again this year to support them.
Honeycutt said that the Fun Run day is one of her favorite days of the year.
“It really encompasses family, and it encompasses everything about the whole child. It encompasses health and wellness, dexterity, it encompasses teamwork with a little bit of competition thrown in there.”
The event was held in conjunction with the Week of the Young Child, and Mayor Tamara Sheffield was there to read a proclamation making that announcement and encouraging citizens “to support and invest in early childhood education, programs and activities that promote wellbeing of young children and their families.”
Prior to reading the proclamation, Sheffield reflected how just three years ago the site was just woods and noted the progress that has been made and now they are preparing to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
Honeycutt said they were glad to be here and be a model and example of noted that having this event during the Week of the Young Child plus having the mayor there, Honeycutt said they make sure they always recognize how important high quality, early care and education is, and that “we’re glad to be here and to provide that as a model and example.”
