Run, safety event to fill weekend

This Saturday two events will make their way to the downtown square starting with the 13th annual Run for the Children 10K/5K/1K beginning at 6:30 a.m. and moving into the Remembering Wyatt Dale Water Safety Awareness event starting a 9 a.m. The 10K/5K/1K will be held Saturday, May 19 and all proceeds will go to Virginia’s House/Dr. Goodall’s House – a family resource center, to help children who are victims of abuse and neglect, and their non-offending families. Virginia’s House provides service to Young, Stephens and Throckmorton counties. Registration and packet pick-up will be at Virginia’s House located at 729 Elm St., on May 18, from 5-7 p.m., and on race day from 6:30-7:30 a.m. Start times are: 10K, 7:45 a.m.; 5K, 7:50 a.m.; 1K Fun Run, 9:15 a.m. A pre-run ceremony will be held before all of the races at 7:30 a.m. The run will be held on the square in Graham, with the start/finish line at 3rd and Oak St. The 1K Fun Run course circles around inside the square. Age divisions are 9 and under, 10-14, 15-18, 19-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and 65 and over. The 10K and 5K are timed, with a cash prize of $150 for overall male and female winners. Trophies will be awarded to first, second, and third place overall male and female winners in both the 10K and 5K. Medals will be awarded to male and female first, second, and third place winners in all age divisions. Ribbons will be given all children in the 1K. Registration fees are $25 for the 10K and 5K, and $30 on race day. The 1K fee is $15 for the first child entered and $10 for siblings. Online registration is available on www.active.com. Brochures may be picked up at the schools and at Virginia’s House. For more information about the run, call Dori Cawley at 940-550-8963, or email at info@runforthechildrentx.org. Wyatt Dale Water Safety Awareness Event Partnering with the Run for the Children is the 5th annual Remembering Wyatt Dale Water Safety Awareness event which is held alongside Water Safety Month in May. The Remembering Wyatt Dale Water Safety Awareness organization was formed in 2014, in memory of 3-year-old Wyatt Dale Terasas, who lost his life to an accidental drowning while on a family swimming outing on July 7, 2013. The organization’s mission since 2014 has been to “Save Lives One Jacket at a Time” though water safety awareness training and by providing life jackets and swim scholarships to children. Free life jackets will be provided to the first 200 children who come to the event and visit the table for the organization. Along with the 200 free life jackets will be free hot dogs provided by Graham Savings and Loan, free water slides and slip and slides, drawings and giveaways and water games. Members of the Graham city council and others from around town have volunteered to sit on a platform in a dunk tank where visitors, after a making a donation, can line up to try to drop them in the tank.