ON YOUR MARK…GET SET! 3RD ANNUAL WADDLE & TROT THANKSGIVING 5K RACE IN SANTEE FUNDS FOOD FOR THOSE IN NEED

November 9, 2014 -- On Thursday, November 27 at 8:00 a.m. Pathways Community Church will host the 3rd Annual Waddle and Trot 5K and Fun Run. All proceeds will once again go to Santee Santas and the Santee Food Bank.

This fun family event is intended for runners and walkers of every fitness level.

“Fall is such an exciting time for our church,” says Phil Herrington, Pastor at Pathways Community Church.  “Not only have we been hosting our Trunk or Treat for the past 10 years, and now the Waddle and Trot 5K has become a special tradition in its own right. We had around 650 participants in both 2012 and 2013 allowing us to raise over $20,000 for Santee Santas and Santee Food Bank.  I can’t wait to see the turn out we have this year.”

The 2014 Waddle and Trot 5K will provide runners with the same scenic course as last year.  Race participants will begin in the Pathways Center at the corner of Mast and Carlton Hills.  The fast and flat course will proceed west on Mast Boulevard and enter Santee Lakes via Lake Canyon Road.  After circling Lakes 4 and 5, the course will proceed back to Pathways Center and will be followed by a post-race celebration that includes refreshments and vendor booths.  Prizes will be given to the Top 3 Male and Female finishers in seven different age categories and all registrants will receive a race T-Shirt.

“Our goal this year is to maximize the money we raise for our two worthy charities,” says Kristine Quirk, Race Director.  “Some of the things we added last year, like finishers medals for all participants and chip timing, added to our overhead but didn’t necessarily translate into must-haves for the race experience.  This year, we’re keeping the finishers medals but will be going back to pull tabs for race timing.  We hope with these changes, and increased participation, we’ll be able to raise $20,000 this year.”

Local businesses can also support the Waddle and Trot 5K by sponsoring the event, having a vendor booth at our race expo, or by donating an item for our silent auction.  All proceeds go to Santee Santas and Santee Food Bank. To learn more, contact Cindi Atkinson or Christina Gates at waddleandtrot@pathways.cc.

Santee Santas is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that has been bringing the spirit of the holidays to the Santee community for more than fifty years.  They provide food and gifts, especially during the holiday season, to Santee residents. For more information, visit www.santeesantas.org.

The Santee Food Bank is an all-volunteer organization that provides emergency food assistance to low and middle income residence of Santee. They disperse food every Wednesday and Friday and the first and third Saturday of the month from 9-11 am. For more information, visit www.thesanteefoodbankorg.

Pathways Community Church is located at 9638 Carlton Hills Boulevard and service times are Sundays at 9:00 am, 10:15 am and 6:30 pm. For more information, visit www.pathways.cc.

To register for the 5K or Fun Run, visit www.pathways.cc/waddleandtrot.