Locals travel to Tim Kennard 10-Miler in Salisbury, Md.

A handful of locals made the trip to Salisbury, Md., for one of the popular races on the Eastern Shore as the Tim Kennard River Run 10-Miler hosted 250 in the featured event and 269 in the 5K event.

A great write-up on the website regarding the history states, ”Timothy Kennard, 48 years old, and father of a 7-year-old son, passed away on March 11, 2004. He fought a courageous battle against renal cancer. Tim is missed by his family and fellow running friends. This run/walk is in his honor, with proceeds going, as Tim requested, to help children and animals. This year the proceeds will help Coastal Hospice, specifically for pediatric cases and programs for grieving children who have lost a sibling or a parent to cancer; the Salisbury Horizons Student Enrichment Program, which provides support, education and hope to children from economically disadvantaged families; also, Coalition of Caring, a fund for our animal friends in need.”

Blake Hundley (1st Age Group) was fourth in the 5K run in 18:43 at 10 years old, while Erik Farinas (4th Age Group) ran 1:08:44 in the 10-miler for 24th. Rick Hundley (5th Age Group) was 27th in 1:09:41 to average under seven per clip, while Rusty Laporte (3rd Age Group) was 44th in 1:14:48. Monique Bamforth (2nd Age Group) was second in her age group in 1:23:39 for 83rd overall, while Linda Schwartz-Chi (5th Age Group) was 91st in 1:24:23. Arleen Laporte (1st Age Group) finished 149th in 1:32:08, while Len Leshem (2nd Age Group) was 247th in 2:00:10.

Congratulations to all finishers and I apologize if I missed any locals. Full results can be found at www.springmoose.com/tk.

Shields hosts healthy afternoon for families

Thursday afternoon, March 14, Shields Elementary School hosted its first Healthy Fit Afternoon, when more than 200 kids and families participated in the event. Families kicked off the event by walking one mile on the historic cinder 300-yard oval and were given a piece of fruit donated by Giant Foods of Rehoboth Beach. From the track it was off to the café for opening comments and a rundown of the afternoon rotation. For the next 90 minutes, families were treated to sessions on Nutrition & the Café, Fitness in the Gym and Movement in the Classroom. In each session there were four breakout sessions consisting of the following: Café - Sugar Demo, Healthy Snack, Go-Slow-Whoa, Beebe Q & A; Gym - Quest Fitness, Kick Boxing, Yoga, Hip Hop Abs; and Classroom - Word Fun, Quick Math, Dance Fridays, Counting Fun. The families then returned to the café for a wrap-up and a bottled water to go.

This was a great opportunity to reach out to the public and involve local families in the importance of being healthy and physically active.

I was trained years back on the Catch Program that almost all schools throughout the country are following, and my goal is to pass all I know down to my students.

Catch stands for Coordinated Approach To Child Health, and a Catch Program statement hits the nail on the head: ”By teaching children that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be fun, the Catch Programs have proven that establishing healthy habits in childhood can promote behavior changes that can last a lifetime.”

It was a great afternoon, a very beneficial afternoon, and something I feel all schools should host every year throughout the state. We must get to our youth in their elementary years if any change in the future is going to happen in this country.

Upcoming Races

9 a.m., Saturday, March 16, 6th St. Patrick’s Day 5K Race, Gen. James F. Fretterd Community Center, Denton, Md., www.seashorestriders.com.

9 a.m., Saturday, March 23, 7th Shamrock Shuffle 15K & 5K, Junction & Breakwater Trail, Rehoboth Beach, www.seashorestriders.com.

8 a.m., Saturday, March 30, 2nd Bunny Palooza 5K & 10K Run & Walk, Bethany Beach, www.bunnypaloozarun.com.

10 a.m., Sunday, April 7, 18th April Fools Day Run, Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes, www.seashorestriders.com.