By IAIN MCMURRAY
The Progress
A large crowd gathered in the parking lot of Grant M. Bowler Elementary on Friday evening as the sun was setting on October 15. It was the Team Leadership Corps (TLC) Zombie 5K Run. The event was planned and coordinated by the TLC, a local 4-H group dedicated to helping the community, with help from volunteers from the MVHS National Honor Society.
The run consisted of a loop a little over three miles long starting at the elementary school and traveling east on Whipple, south on Heyer, turning west on Gubler and then returning north on Lyman back to the starting point.
Best of all, the run was done in the dark, which was the perfect opportunity for scarers to spook the runners along the way, giving them a little extra motivation to finish the race.
Runners competed in several different categories based on age. Awards were presented to the first three finishers in each division.
Although costumes were not required to participate, it was certainly encouraged. Awards were given to those who dressed up especially well or were otherwise deserving of special recognition.
The group was very happy with the turnout.
“The Zombie Run was a big success,” said TLC member Kaley Kineston. “I thought it went really well. We had a lot of people show up, and I think that everyone had a lot of fun.”
Hosting a 5K is nothing new to TLC. The group has put on several community fun runs before. Despite that, they were still a bit worried about holding one in the dark.
“It was the first night 5K that we’ve done,” said Wendy Mulcock, a TLC advisor. “But I think it went really well, and that everyone had a good time.”
TLC member Kenzie Hughes agreed. “We had a great turnout and it was awesome to see how the community came together to support us.”
The run was not just for fun, though. It was also a fundraiser for the many activities that the TLC puts on throughout the year, including a Mental Health Fair event coming up later this year. The group aims to bring attention to mental health problems, as well as help combat other problems they see in the community.
“I really think that once the community realizes we’re doing this on a regular basis, we’ll get better turnouts,” commented Mulcock. “We’re really grateful to everyone who supports us!”
