St. Mary-St. Michael School to host 5K, fun run, duck race on Derby Day

DERBY - A Derby Dash 5K & Family Fund Run will be held starting at 8 a.m. June 15 at the Derby Greenway.

Runners should park at the municipal parking lot behind Main Street and near Housatonic Lumber Co. and Derby Feed.

Entry fee is $17 for pre-registratoin by June 7; $20 after that day and on race day.
Children's rate (12 & under( is $10.
First 100 registered runners to arrive will receive a Derby Dash T-shirt.
For registration form and information check the back of the church or go to www.stmarystmichaelct.eduk12.net.

For information contact Art Gerckens at arthur.t.gerckens@snet.net or at 203-734-7062. All funds will benefit St. Mary-St. Michael School.

Housy River Duck Decorating Contest
Entry fee is $15 and includes the 10-inch rubber ducks to be decorated.
Prizes will be given to the Top 3 Ducks. Ppurchase the ducks at St. Mary-St. Michael School. Decorated ducks need to be submitted by June 12 to the school and will be on display on Derby Day.

Ducks will be judged at noon on Derby Day.
For registration form and information, visit www.stmarystmichaelct.eduk.net.
All funds will benefit St. Mary - St. Michael School.

5th Annual Housy River Duck Race
Come join us at Derby Day for a fun-filled day of activities. The Housy River Duck Race is back and will take place at 3 p.m. at the Derby/Shelton Bridge.
Watch the ducks as they race down the Housatonic River. The first 65 rubber ducks to cross the finish line will win prizes.
Duck Raffle tickets will be $5 and on sale at several locations.

The school is looking for sponsors for the event. Forms for the Corporate Sponsors can be found at  www.stmarystmichaelct.eduk.net. All funds will benefit St. Mary-St. Michael School.

Calling all non-profits
A successful community is built upon the foundation of helping hands helping one another. We would like to share this great opportunity to raise funds for your non-profit organization by selling raffle tickets to the 5th Annual Housy River Duck Race.
Your organization will receive $2 back for every $5 ticket it sells.
For information, contact St Mary-St Michael School, 203-735-6471 or gtorres@stmarystmichael.org



This post is taken from a press release from St. Mary-St. Michael School.  

Seymour teen goes pink, wins 5K race

Hunter Cripps, 13, an eighth grader at Seymour Middle School, won the Pounding the Pavement for Pink 5K in the 14 and under age division Saturday in Seymour. The event benefits the grassroots' Seymour Pink, Inc. nonprofit organization that raises awareness and funds for breast cancer research.  / Contributed photo

Oxford run/walk to benefit Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Participants in last year's race wear superhero T-shirts

OXFORD - The second annual Ryan’s Superhero Run/Walk will be held Sept. 15.
This event is to honor the memory of Ryan VerNooy, a young Oxford resident who died in December 2010.

Last year's memorial race raised more than $9,000, organizers said. 

All proceeds will benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford. The camp staff is dedicated to providing a fun camp experience to seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge.


Check-in and day-of registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The race will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m, from the Colonial Tavern at 24 Hawley Road. There will be free on-site parking available.   

Participants have the choice of completing a 5K run or a 1.5-mile walk that each start and end at the Colonial Tavern. Some rolling hills are included in the course.

Superhero costumes are encouraged, but not required. All ages are invited to participate; strollers are welcome, but no pets.
The first 400 participants registered will receive a commemorative T-shirt from the event, and a complimentary gift bag. Food and water will be provided.

Awards will be given to the overall top three male and female finishers, as well as the top 3 males and females from the following age groups: 12 and under; 13-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60 and above. These and additional raffle prizes have been generously donated by local businesses and restaurants.
Pre-registration is $20. Day-of registration is $25.

For more information, or to sign up online, visit: www.hitekracing.com/ryanssuperherorun/

Computerized timing and results will be provided by HiTek Racing.

Milford couple running event to help get running water to Ugandans

Rain or shine run/walk to raise funds, awareness

On Monday I interviewed Jane Holler of Milford, who along with her husband Daniel Marecki run Uganda Farmers Inc.

They formed the nonprofit several years ago to help Uganda villagers get clean running water to improve their lives and eradicate the water-borne disease that affects so many.

Holler and Marecki with Ugandans as the tap is turned on in village of Ruhunda earlier this summer.

The couple is hosting the second annual Running for Water 5K Sept. 22 at Joseph A. Foran High School, 80 Foran Road, Milford.
Advance registration will be taken until Sept. 15; race day registration starts at 7:30 a.m. There is also a fun run for kids and a two-mile walk. The event is rain or shine.

Holler with children from the village of Ihunga who are fetching water from a river. She said the joy on the faces of the villagers who now have clean running water is wonderful to see. "It brings such joy and such hope to these kids," Holler said. "These people are so grateful. For them it's life-altering."

This Ugandan child is standing near one of the jerry cans they use to carry water. Holler said children are tasked with getting water for their families.
She said they often walk several miles twice a day to fetch the water. The children also gather the firewood villagers use to boil the water, she said. There is no electricity in the rural villages that she and her husband have been helping.

The nonprofit is planning a fun day, Holler said, with refreshments and live entertainment.
A jazz band will be performing at the school grounds and John Shannon will play guitar along the run/walk route.
 "The important thing is we need sponsors," Holler said. Donations are tax-deductible, and those who donate more than $200 will have their name printed on the race T-shirts and on any publicity material, she said. "Our generous donors are the ones who make it a success," Holler said.

Holler and Marecki are clearly doing great things to help the impoverished people of Uganda. They deserve support through monetary donations, sponsorships, or participation in the upcoming fun event.