Lace up your running or walking shoes and mark your calendar for the fourth
annual CaroMont Community Challenge. The 5k run and 1-mile fun walk will
take place on Saturday, May 13 at Stuart W. Cramer High School in Belmont,
with proceeds supporting the Gaston County School’s Robotics Program.
Runners and walkers of all ages and fitness levels are encouraged to attend
a morning of family fun.
Since 2012, the health and wellness event has grown steadily in attendance
and participation. “On May 13, we are expecting a great turn out
from people of all stages of life—from your seasoned runner to individuals
who are just starting to make exercise a part of their lifestyle routine,”
said Doug Luckett, President and CEO at CaroMont Health. “Improving
the health of our community is at the heart of what we do, and this event
is a wonderful way to support this mission with a little healthy competition
along the way.”
As Luckett mentions, the CaroMont Community Challenge is more than a race;
it is a health and wellness experience for the whole family. Attendees
will enjoy music and entertainment, giveaways and prizes, and a variety
of fun interactive fitness activities.
Fun Walk & Run
The 5k run will begin at 8:30 a.m. followed by a 1-mile fun walk at 9.00
a.m. Both races will start and finish at Stuart W. Cramer High School.
Registration for the 5k is $15 per person or participants can register
for a family rate. Registration includes a t-shirt. There is no fee to
participate in the 1-mile fun walk but registration is required.
Couch to 5K Training
Run or walk your very first 5k with the help of CaroMont’s Couch
to 5k (C25K) training program. This year, the virtual training program
will be available online and is designed to get just about anyone from
the couch to running or walking a 5k in nine weeks. March 13 marks the
official start to the 9-week training program. For more information about
C25K and to download the training manual, visit
http://www.caromontcommunitychallenge.com/training/.
Maybe you are interested in being involved but not competing? The Community
Challenge also has a number of volunteer opportunities from registration
to handing out water to participants, and corporate sponsorship opportunities
are also available.
To learn more about the event, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities,
or to register, please visit the website at caromontcommunitychallenge.com.
Gaston County Schools Robotics’ Program
For the past three years, CaroMont has partnered with Gastonia East Rotary
to support Gaston County Schools’ Robotics Program – a program
that combines science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to teach
students critical thinking and creative skills. Proceeds from the Community
Challenge are matched up to $15,000 by the Rotary International Foundation
in support of the robotics program.
Students interested in the robotics program must go through an extensive
application and interview process. It costs about $2,000 to fund a robotics’
team and sponsorship funding goes to support the entire robotics program
including the robots, training for students and staff and materials needed
for projects throughout the school year.
“Gaston County Schools is doing so much to give students a robust
and diverse educational experience, and we are proud to partner with the
Gastonia East Rotary to support this program,” said Luckett. “Our
sponsors are not only using the CaroMont Community Challenge to share
their messages and services with our event participants, but all of their
sponsorship dollars go directly to support this program.”