Each year, Partners Aligned Toward Health organizes the Burnsville Fit Families (BFF) 5K with the goal of uniting our community through healthy activity. The 11th Annual Burnsville Fit Families 5K held on Saturday, April 30thwas a great success! After missing the event for the past two years due to COVID-19, the turnout this year exceeded the organizer’s expectations with 209 runners and walkers registered for the event and 172 participants crossing the finish line. (See Pictures Here)
Dig In! volunteers take care of keeping 5k runners hydrated at the water station.
Developing healthy habits at a young age is a great way to make them stick. That’s why youth under the age of 18 run for free! 76 kids were able to participate this year! Thanks to generous donations from those who participated in PATH’s “Sponsor a Runner” campaign, 62 of those youth participants were directly sponsored by community members.
The race would not have been a success without the many sponsors who provided financial and in-kind support, and the volunteers and partners who came together to manage logistics. In particular, we would like to thank our title sponsor, Mountain Community Health Partnership, who has been a valuable partner and consistent supporter of community health initiatives in their service area. The Burnsville Police Department, Burnsville Fire Department, Yancey Emergency Services, Yancey Sheriff’s Department, Yancey Rescue Squad, and many volunteer Course Marshals helped to keep runners safe on the race course. First Baptist Church of Burnsville graciously provided access to their Fellowship Hall and the Town of Burnsville and Yancey County Government allowed PATH to take over the Town Square! Appalachian Family Dentistry and some great volunteers made healthy and delicious smoothies as a post-race treat. Several groups of volunteers, including Parkway Playhouse, 4-H Livestock Club, Dig In! Yancey Community Garden, Red Cross, and Community Ambassador Real Equality (CARE Team) staffed water stations to keep our runners hydrated. And finally, thank you to all of the community members who came out to cheer the runners on!
Congratulations to the following top finishers: Tal Galton of Burnsville (Top Overall Male Finisher), Sallie Senseney of Burnsville (Top Overall Female Finisher), and William Kuhn of Burnsville (First Stroller Across the Finish Line)! Monkey Business Toy Shop/Something Special Gift Shop and Jus’ Running generously donated prizes. Each person who tackled the course is a winner in our eyes!
To learn more, support our work, or get involved as a volunteer, contact PATH staff at (828)682-7899, info@pathwnc.org, or visit www.pathwnc.org.
