NSR Interstellar 5k Trail Run / Walk
Happy Sunday everyone!
This is one of my favorite topics to write about! If you have not had a chance to read my previous post, be sure to check it out. It dives more into what my full time job entails (aside from being a mama of 2 very active boys!). In a nutshell, I am the Program Director for North Star Reach, a camp for children with serious medical challenges. We are located in the heart of Pinckney, Michigan, and we offer year round opportunities. My post (found here) discusses more on our offerings for both the parents / guardians and kids. It is a very unique job, so definitely take a read if you are interested in learning more about NSR and the incredible kiddos that we have come through our programs. (www.northstarreach.org)
About a year ago, one of my supervisors passed an idea by me, and it absolutely inspired me. She asked, "have you ever been interested in coordinating a 5k?" That is one thing I have ALWAYS been interested in accomplishing during my time as a Recreation Director in my previous job within the Parks and Recreation industry. Her idea was a perfect opportunity to motivate people to physically come see camp, to explore our trails and to learn more about what we do. Not too mention, we have a very "rustic modern" camp (as I like to call it) and am proud to tour people around!
I was given the green light from our Interim CEO to come up with a fun and innovative concept for a 5k opportunity at camp. For those who are not into the running world, a 5k represents a 3.10 mile run or walk. I went straight to the drawing board and with help along the way, created a new event! This will be the first time ever that we will be offering the North Star Reach Interstellar 5k Trail Run / Walk , taking place on Saturday, October 2nd. This specific 5k run/walk will directly benefit our North Star Reach Camp, and by extension, our campers! The name is a play on our already space / star theme, and with Moose being our mythical mascot, who wouldn't want to be a "Moose-tronaut," anyways? That almost indescribable feeling our campers experience while they're with us is something we like to call the "moosenes" of camp. For the run, top fundraisers will receive a gift basket with cool camp swag, including an exclusive t-shirt, tote bag, baseball cap and sweatshirt. There is also an opportunity for corporate sponsorships, as well as in-kind donations for the race.
I don't want to get too ahead of myself as we are still in the midst of planning but I am crossing my fingers for success!! For me, personally, nothing is more thrilling than gathering a group of people together with a common mission. Due to the pandemic, our organization got hit hard, especially being a non-profit. We relay on big and small donors, as well as partnerships for our year round programs to continue to operate. One of my biggest goals for this race is to raise awareness, connect people across our NSR community, as well as provide an event that promotes health and wellbeing. I hope you have the opportunity to come join this event and witness something great! OR you can register for the virtual option that takes place on the same day. This experience is about to be out of this world...<wink, wink>! Registration Link.
This incredible soon-to-be event was featured in a story by Doug Marrin of The Sun Times News. You can check out the article here! We also had an opportunity for The Sun Time News to feature our camp programming and to explore how myself, and my co-worker got involved in such a transformational experience and role. You can check out the article here: North Star Reach in Pinckney Rec Area is a Place Like No Other.