SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. – February 19, 2016 – Harrington HealthCare System has announced it will hold a second color run/walk this spring.
The event will be held May 1 at Westville Recreation Area on the Southbridge/Sturbridge line. A 5K trail course will be available to walk or run, and will feature four color stations, in which participants are splashed with a non-toxic color powder mixture as they proceed through the course.
The event begins at 12 p.m. Walk-in registration will begin at 11 a.m., but pre-registration is encouraged by visiting harrington.kintera.org/Run2016. Advanced registration is $25 for adults through March 15; seniors and students are always $15 and children under 10 are free.
Participants are encouraged to car pool due to parking capacity at Westville, and can use the back sections of the main hospital parking lots on South Street to meet and leave their vehicles.
The event is in part a response to the popularity of the 2015 event, in which Harrington set out to raise $5,000, but succeeded in raising more than $12,000. It is also a fund raiser to benefit the new inpatient behavioral health unit being built at Harrington’s Webster campus at 340 Thompson Road. The 8,200-square-foot dual diagnosis unit (DDU) will be the first in the region to treat mental health and substance abuse disorders simultaneously. More information about expanding access to behavioral health services and the DDU project can be found here.
North Brookfield-based Vibram, known for creating durable, versatile rubber soles for shoes, including the popular Five Finger sneaker, is the premiere sponsor of the event. Vibram will be present on May 1 for participants to learn more about the company and its product line.
Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center, and their Focus Fitness Center, is also an event sponsor.
The family-friendly event is held rain or shine. The 3-mile course is part of the Grand Trunk Trail and includes mostly flat terrain. It is stroller and pet-friendly. All fitness levels are welcome.
This year, the event also aligns with the Harrington Auxiliary 25th Annual Lucky Duck and Family Fun Day, happening at Westville from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expanding this year to include more family-friendly events, entertainment, and activities, Lucky Duck Day is best known for the “duck pluck”, in which participants who purchased one or a set of rubber ducks have a chance to win a $1,000 grand prize.
Ducks will be available for purchase starting in March. Community members can buy their ducks at the main hospital gift shop in Southbridge, open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Additional locations will be announced soon.
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