Copyright M Live Michigan
SAGINAW, MI — Girls on the Run Great Lakes Bay will mark its 15th anniversary with a community-wide 5K event on Saturday, Nov. 22, in Saginaw. The “Reindeer Run” expects to draw more than 500 participants donning festive antlers as they travel through Riverfront Saginaw. The event precedes the Positive Results Downtown Holiday Parade, with the 5K starting at 10:40 a.m. from the Andersen Enrichment Center. Runners and walkers will follow a route through city streets and Hoyt Park before returning to the Andersen Center. “This 5K highlights and exemplifies the joy of the Girls on the Run season, and the many positive things happening in Riverfront Saginaw,” Jen Naegele, council director for Girls on the Run Great Lakes Bay, said in a statement. “We are grateful to our community for coming out to support our Girls on the Run participants and make the celebration a truly special event year after year.” Participants will receive commemorative 15th birthday medals, hot chocolate and cookies at the finish line. The location also provides prime viewing for the Holiday Parade that follows. The 5K serves as the culmination of the fall Girls on the Run program, where more than 160 girls in third through eighth grades from the Great Lakes Bay Region complete their eight-week training focused on self-esteem and healthy lifestyles. These participants will be joined by 160 running buddies and 50 coaches. Registration is open to all community members until Nov. 20 at www.gotrgreatlakesbay.org/5K. Registration is $30. Proceeds benefit the GOTR Great Lakes Bay scholarship fund, and family discounts are available. Day-of registration begins at 9 a.m. at the YMCA of Saginaw on Fordney Street, where participants will receive foam antlers and enjoy pre-race music. Organizers encourage festive winter attire for the event. Participating schools include Arrowwood, Atkins, Auburn, Coleman, Freeland, Hampton and Handley elementaries, along with Harrison Middle School, Hemmeter Elementary and Laker Elementary. For more information, contact GOTR council director Jen Naegele at 989-399-0007, ext. 104.
