Nearly 70 runners participated in the Polar Bear 5K on Saturday, helping to raise money for the Wadesboro Police Department’s Shop with a Cop charity.
Alex Gaura, 14, took first place in the 5K with a time of 20:48.
Times for the other runners were not immediately available.
More than 70 runners signed up and 67 participated, with 65 crossing the finish line. This was an increase over last year, when about 54 people participated.
Some runners participated independently while others ran with a team. Dental Works in Monroe and Matthews made up the Molar Bears team. The head doctors at the offices matched the money made by their sign-up fees and donations from their offices, according to former Wadesboro police officer Joshua Leviner, who organized the event.
The Mighty Miles, made up of children of Peachland-Polkton Elementary School, also participated along with their coach, Mirandi Chewning. Leviner said that team raised a “significant” amount of money, though he did not have the figures immediately available.
Santa Claus was at the finish line to cheer runners on, and volunteers offered fruit and water at the halfway point and at the finish line. Food Lion donates bananas for the runners each year.
After the 5K, a 1K was held, where the youngest runners were two 4-year-olds, Kinsley Hardwick and David Cunningham. This was Hardwick’s second time running in an event.
CATEGORY WINNERS
In the girls’ age 7-9 category, Autumn Hayes, 9, won, while Daniel Landon, 8, won in the boys’ category in the same age group.
Brooklyn Lear, 10, won in the girls’ age 10-13 category, and Davis Wright, also 10, won in the boys’ category.
There was no girl in the ages 14-18 category, but John Ciprich, 15, won in the boys’ category.
In the women ages 19-26 category, Mirandi Chewning, 26, won, whle Nathan Landon, 21, won in the men’s category.
Shelly Vetter, 32, won the women’s 27-35 age range. There was no man participating in that age bracket.
Lisa Hardwick, 43, won in the women’s 36-45 category while Jonathan Mettell, 44, won in the men’s category.
Marie Flake, 49, won in the women’s ages 46-54 category and Dr. Danny Wright, 46, had the fastest time in the same age range for men.
SHOP WITH A COP
The 5K benefits Shop With a Cop.
Each year, officers take a group of about 12 children who may not otherwise receive Christmas gifts out to lunch at a local restaurant and shopping at Walmart. Each child is assigned to an officer and a Walmart associate, who accompany the children on their shopping spree to keep a tally of the shopping total, help them select the appropriate clothing and shoe sizes and help them check out at the register.
This is the third year the department has hosted the 5K as a fundraiser. Leviner said that this year raised the most money and had the most runners out of all three years so far.
“It keeps getting better and better,” he said, adding that this year’s run had the best weather. It was 74 degrees and sunny on Saturday, but icy the first year it was held and rainy last year.
Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.
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