WORLD RUN DAY - Kanata, Ontario
Sunday, November 9th, 2003

http://www.movementtohealth.com/World_Run.htm
 

$1242.75 total raised for charity, included is $524.00 raised on race day for the Community Resource Centre. Thank You to all the runners!

Organizing Team Extrodinnaire, and various talents:
Karen Zerr - mastermind, amazing detail woman!
Donna Davis - sponsors look out! generally agreeing with Karen
Susan Ward - getting our mission into words
Denyse Labonte - energizer bunny, registration control desk
Tonja & Tony Carbonette, Nancy Marchi, Heather Todd - race route co-ordinators, walkie-talkie addicts
Phil Zerr - coffee man
Sue Cuddihey - race photos

We would like to thank local sponsors who generously donated draw prizes and race day support:

Royal Oak Pub, Kanata Mew Mall
National Capital Runner's Association
Starbucks Centrum Mall, Kanata
Play It Again Sports, Centrum Mall Kanata
Sports 4, Centrum Mall Kanata
Booster Juice, Centrum Mall Kanata
Loblaws, Centrum Mall Kanata
Market Fresh, Signature Centre, Kanata
Tag Along Toys, Signature Centre, Kanata
CD Warehouse, Signature Centre, Kanata
Alden Cuddihey - Accenture
Randy and Sandra Zadra - Kanata, Ontario
Nancy Marchi - CPA

There may have been frost on the ground on the morning of Nov. 9, but that didn’t stop any of the 80 or so runners and walkers from getting up and heading to the Kanata race site of the World Run Day 2003. Organized by Karen Zerr and Donna Davis of Movement to Health, there was a buzz of excitement from the 9 a.m. race registration that lasted right through the distribution of door prizes at the Royal Oak in Kanata after the race had been completed and all were sitting down for a leisurely breakfast in front of the Oak’s fireplace.

For some, this race was the first of many, as members of Movement to Health’s Learn to Run program were competing in their first event. The runners, who mostly came from the city’s west end, were all excited about raising money for charity on a crisp, but sunny Sunday morning.

“We like to do the family fun events and we want to get the kids started at any early age. It’s a good course,” said Lorraine Chapman who, along with here husband, pushed her two children in strollers as they ran the 5 km route. Throughout the race, Sophia, their four-year old daughter, got out of the stroller and ran alongside her parents, in total running about 2 km.

The charity aspect of the event was a drawing point for many runners. Donations from the race were for the West-Ottawa Community Resource Centre.

“When I saw we could donate for the program against abuse, I thought that was a great idea,” said Mary Nute who was one of the participants at the race. “I got an e-mail from Donna and decided to come out.”

“It gets people out to run and it raises money for various charities,” said Jen Geoghegan of why she decided to run.

For others, the race was proof of the success of the Movement to Health Run programs. “I never used to run before and I could never quite take a liking to it,” said Joyce Leblanc. “[Donna] said that in 10 weeks she could take me from a non-runner to a runner and she did!”

“I live in Kanata and my buddies were the sponsoring the event so I decided to come out and support them,” said runner Joe Vermette.

The runners were a mixed crowd; many families took the opportunity to spend time with their kids, some high school teenagers ran the race for school, and many avid runners raced for what is, most likely, the last race before snowfall. There were also a lot of kids who skipped the Sunday morning cartoons in favour of lacing up running shoes for the event that Davis and Zerr hope will become an annual race. The two have already begun thinking of changes and improvements for next year.

The amount raised all over the world for World Run Day 2003 will not be known until the end of the month when the total amount is announced in New York City. This year, there were races from Kanata to London, England to the Cayman Islands to Bydogoszcz, Poland.