11th Annual Mendo Human Race coming to Ukiah on May 7
Friday, April 21, 2017
It’s a testament to community involvement that North Coast Opportunities is able to host the 11th Annual Mendo Human Race this Saturday, May 7th. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised and have gone directly to local non-profits. Creating a successful event for one year is a tall task, and the fact that we’re on number eleven says that the people and organizations of our community are amazing!
Thank you.
The goal is to create a family-friendly community experience and the timeline has been finalized.
Rain or shine, registration starts at 8 am at the Alex Thomas Plaza at the corner of School and Clay Streets. (Please don’t park in the Round Table Pizza parking lot). DJ Ryan of Tah Dah Productions will be spinning music to get everyone energized for the day. Schat’s has donated freshly made energy bars that we’ll be serving prior to the race to fuel you for the course.
At 9 am, the event will begin with the runners starting first. If you’re running, please make your way to the ahead of the pack near the starting line. All walkers will follow the runners onto the 5k course that winds its way through the streets of Ukiah including two laps around Todd Grove Park.
The final participants will return to the plaza by approximately 10:30. Upon your return to the plaza, you can peruse the Ukiah Farmers’ Market which will be in full swing. You can take in more music from DJ Ryan and we’ll have a vibrant marketplace which includes informational booths around many key community programs
We’ll also have lunch for you. We’ll be serving locally produced John Ford Ranch hot dogs along with fresh strawberries and oranges sourced by the Mendo Lake Food Hub. There will be a vegetarian option available as well. Lunch will be prepared by the Active 20-30 Club of Ukiah.
At approximately 10:45 we’ll host the second annual “Kids Race.” This is for children 9 and under. We have outlined a “track” which is a semi-circle right at the heart of the Plaza. This will be quick and fun. At the end of the race, all the kids will receive their very own Mendo Human Race sunglasses.
Right after the kids race, we’ll host our awards ceremony. There are several categories of prizes. We will have ribbons for our top runners and we’ll also have prizes for the most creative team costumes.
We’re thrilled to support the efforts of a new resource called Healthy Mendocino’s Small Steps, Big Changes which is a local resource guide to explore ideas for eating well, moving more, and being creative. Be on the lookout on Saturday for some fun Small Steps, Big Changes signs and other information that you’ll find on the course and at the Plaza. In the meantime, check out their newly launched website for more details.
In the meantime, the best thing you can do is to continue to raise money for your non-profit. Even though we won’t be accepting donations on the day of the event, you can turn them all into NCO the week after. The dollars you raise go directly toward supporting these programs which allow them to maximize their level of service to our community members.
The experience promises to be special. Thank you for making it possible. See you Saturday, May 7!