Fairfield County — The Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County’s (JLEFC) 4th Annual Healthy Families 5K Run and Walk at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is Sunday, April 22, but there’s still time to register for one of the JLEFC’s most popular family events. Advance registration has closed, but runners and walkers can register in person on race day.
The day will kick off with the Kids’ Fun Run at 8:30AM, which is open to children in grade 6 and younger. Following the kids’ race, adults can complete a computer-timed 5K run or walk, or the new, untimed 1.5K Wellness Walk. All participants will wind through the zoo and encounter tigers, prairie dogs, anteaters, and exotic birds along the way. Both courses finish near the historic carousel, where everyone will relax and refuel at the Post Race Party with Star 99.9. Families can paint pots and plant seeds for Earth Day, and kids will love having their faces painted. All registered race participants will receive a ticket to Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo and are invited to spend the rest of the day exploring all the zoo has to offer.
Prizes will be awarded for the top male and female finishers, as well as for the top three finishers in nine age groups. Prizes will also be given for Best Costume. All registered participants, including children with paid registration for the 5K or 1.5K, will receive a commemorative t-shirt.
Race proceeds will help fund the JLEFC’s myriad of community outreach programs, including the Healthy Families, Healthy Futures initiative. The program addresses children’s physical and developmental health by focusing on literacy; parent, child, and family connections; healthy eating; and healthy, active lifestyles to better prepare children for success in school and beyond. Those who wish to support these initiatives even if they can’t make it to the race can still go online to register for the Virtual Race; simply donate online, then run, jog, or walk from anywhere—the road, a favorite trail, the treadmill, the gym, the track, or even another race.
Registration for the 4th Annual Healthy Families 5K Run and Walk for those registered by April 18 is $25 for ages 19 and up and $18 for ages 13 to 18; participants ages 12 and under are only $12. Advance registration has closed, but runners and walkers are encouraged to sign up at Beardsley Zoo on race day, where they can pay the registration fee via cash or check; card payment will not be available. To learn more about the event, visit https://www.jlefc.org/support-us/healthy-families-5k-runwalk/. To register for the race or the virtual race, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/CT/Bridgeport/TheHealthyFamilies5KRunWalk.
Special thanks to the 2018 sponsors:
- Children’s Therapy and Learning Center
- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
- Fidelity Investments
- Keidy Marie Foundation Inc.
- People’s United Bank
- Rankin Textile Printing
- Rudy’s Executive Transportation
- Santa Energy
- SoundRUNNER
- Star 99.9
- Steep by Bigelow
- The Westport Inn
The Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County is proud to support the following communities: Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Newtown, Redding, Shelton, Southport, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, and Westport. It is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Corporate sponsorships and other revenue producing efforts support all JLEFC programs. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. For further information please contact us at jlefc@snet.net or (203) 259-9995. The JLEFC office is located at the Burr Homestead, 739 Old Post Road, Fairfield and at www.jlefc.org.