LDS Youth Kick Off New Year With 5K Run

By STEPHANIE BUNKER

Moapa Valley Progress

A 5k run was held on Saturday, January 4, by the LDS Logandale Stake for local youth. The event was held to kick-off the new annual theme of the church’s youth program and to get the kids motivated after the holidays.

The annual event had a good turn out with approximately 60 youth and leaders showing up to participate. The youth got out of bed early that morning to show up at the stake center at 8:00 a.m. ready to run.

Before the 5K began Stake leaders held a devotional to introduce the new youth theme for 2014: “Come unto Christ”. After watching a video showing examples of youth all across the world where were united in focusing on the same theme.

Local youth, Caitlin Marshall spoke to her fellow peers and encouraged them to share the message of the theme with friends and family who may not have been at the event. Zach Baldwin also spoke acknowledging to the youth that no one is perfect and that everyone has struggles. But he encouraged them that they can become perfect with the help of Jesus Christ.

With that spiritual strength the group went outside to begin the run. The route they took led them north on St. Joseph and ended up by the baseball fields. It then turned through the subdivision on Taylor Street, circled back to Gubler Avenue and turned south on Heyer. This was a challenge as the youth and leaders forged on, up and down the hilly stretch back around to St. Joseph where they met back at the Stake Center.

The Stake leadership had prepared medals for each of the runners as they came to the finish line.

Jimmy Bledsoe, a leader in the youth program, finished the race first. But Zach Baldwin was close behind him and was the first young man to finish the 5k. Brynne McMurray came in as the first young woman to finish the track.

McMurray related the 2014 theme to running the 5k.

“If we can keep up physically it will be easier to come to Christ throughout the year,” she said.

Katy Frehner was in the top bracket of finishers. She found that what she liked about the run was to be able to cheer people on along the way.

“When I would pass by and cheer people on it made me realize that I can do that throughout the year and give people an extra push,” Frehner said.

Stake Young Women’s President, Wendy Mulcock also found the combination to be good for the youth.

“It’s good to start the year off with motivation, both spiritually and physically,” she said. “Combine those two things and there is a power there.”