Members of the Voorhees Swim Club are well practiced at handling themselves in the pool, but once again the club is inviting its swimmers and all members of the public to spend some time out of the water with the club’s third annual 5K Run/Walk on June 4.
Now in its third year, the annual 5K Run/Walk will take racers and walkers on a trip through the Sturbridge Woods and Sturbridge Lakes communities near the club.
As with a typical 5K run, the run will stretch slightly more than three miles, with the walk set at about half that distance.
According to former swim club board member and race organizer Patrick Stewart, the race and walk began in 2014 as another way to raise awareness of Voorhees’ town pool, its swim team and the benefits of having such a family friendly place in town.
Stewart said now is a great time to become a new supporter of the club, as it recently underwent renovations, and the club’s Stingrays swim team completed its second undefeated season in 2015, going 5–0 and winning the Tri-County Swimming League E Division.
The team moved up a division after winning the F Division in 2014, and Stewart said the team would compete in the D Division in this upcoming 2016 season.
Stewart also said a portion of the funds raised this year from the 5k Run/Walk will benefit the Special needs Parents, Educators And Kids (SPEAK) parent faculty organization in Voorhees that works to raise awareness and provide events and programs for children with learning challenges and their families.
This year, the event also has a new fundraising incentive to help benefit schools in Voorhees. With every 25 registrants for the 5K run from a particular Voorhees school, including faculty and parents, the Voorhees Swim Club will donate $100 to that school’s parent faculty organization.
“It’s kind of a triple hitter,” Stewart said. “You get to support the pool, the charity, and you get to network and have a safe and relaxed environment for your kids.”
The registration fee for the 5K run is $25 through June 3, and $35 on the day of the event. The registration fee for the walk is $15 through June 3, and $20 on the day of the event.
The 5K run will also be a chip-timed event through Lin-Mark Sports.
During the week of the race, participants will be able to sign up for race tracking, and within minutes of finishing the race, runners can have their results texted to a mobile device.
Those who wish to register for the event can visit https://register.chronotrack.com/r/20212. There runners can also select the “Join a Team” option during registration if they wish to help support a Voorhees school of their choice.
The event will start at 9 a.m. on June 4 at the Voorhees Swim Club located at 8–1 Forrest Hills Drive.
Sponsorships are also available for both the Run/Walk event and throughout the year. Those interested should email [email protected] for details.
“There’s just a really good core of people here at the club, and it’s just a great event and a good charity,” Stewart said.
