By Ethan Gregory

Coming up on Thursday, October 18, is the Wellness Challenge III sponsored by L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital, which is also known around the community as the Healthy Woman 5K Run/Walk and Tot Trot.

This race in particular will be a little different than past ones however, as it will be occurring as a Twilight Run rather than a early morning run. This takes away the common excuse for most people that “I have to work.” Yes, someone might be tired from a long day of work, but this event needs to be one that a large amount of people turn out for as it has a very important cause.

This important cause is that the proceeds from the event go to the benefit of the National Down Syndrome Foundation Buddy Walk. While this cause is by far the biggest picture of the event, there is another purpose all the Healthy Woman 5Ks serve, and that is to the betterment of the physical condition of our community.

In this age of being able to access almost anything we need with the click of a mouse, the thing we forget that cannot be accessed in that manner is exercise. There holds the importance of running and exercise for me. Exercise is a necessity for a healthy lifestyle, and we as a society are losing our sense of importance for it. For the first time in nearly 20 years the average death age has decreased in the United States, and I believe this is directly correlated with the decreasing amount of exercise we do.

The facts show that we as Americans are becoming more and more unhealthy as time and technology progress, so this is why I encourage you to join me and the rest of the participants as we not only support this event in order to help people affected by Down Syndrome, but also to promote health within our community. The fundraiser will be held at L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital. Registration begins at 6 p.m. with a fee of $15 if registered before October 15, or a fee of $20 on the day of the race. The Tot Trot will be free and will be supervised. Participants will receive a T-Shirt, water, Gatorade, and a health bar. The race will start at 6:30 p.m. and is open to anyone that wants to run or walk. Contact Linda Holley at 383-2305 or Shannon Hartley at 383-2254 for any questions concerning the event.

I hope to see you there.