St. Charles American Legion Post 342 to host its first 5K run/walk Sept. 28
St. Charles American Legion Post 342 will host its first 5K run/walk on Saturday, Sept. 28, at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve, off Dean Street in St. Charles.
Early packet pickup will be 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, and Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the St. Charles Veterans Center, 311 N. Second St., Unit 109.
Register online or in person at the Veterans Center by Wednesday, Sept. 18, to receive a T-shirt.
Race-day packet pickup will be 9 to 10 a.m. with a light breakfast, compliments of Brunch Café and Nothing Bundt Cake.
Veterans may take 50% off the $25 registration fee online by entering the promo code "veteran."
Registration forms are also available at the Veterans Center and payable by cash or check, in addition to credit card registration online.
Race/walk starts at 10:30 a.m. with awards from 11:30 a.m. to noon to be held in the large shelter. Proceeds will benefit local St. Charles area veterans through the St. Charles Veterans Center.
After the race, Catering Made Simple offers a beef brisket brioche sandwich box lunch for $5, to be ordered in advance. To reserve your box lunch, email by Sept. 20 at stcharlesveterans@gmail.com. One dollar from every meal will be donated to the St. Charles Veterans fund.
Meals are payable on-site by cash or check.
For more information and to register for the walk/run, visit raceroster.com/events/2019/25736/american-legion-5k-walkrun.
Later that day in the same location, St. Charles veterans will provide the last rest stop for the Springfield-based Gold Star Mission 500 bicycle marathon. This third annual event continues to preserve the legacy and honor of those servicemen and women from Illinois who have made the ultimate sacrifice in support of service to our nation. Thirty riders will have ridden 500 miles from Springfield to St. Charles over five days.
St. Charles was the first destination for the event in 2017, hosting the closing ceremony in Mount St. Mary Park. Proceeds will fund scholarships in the name of our Fallen Heroes. To date, Gold Star Mission has raised funds in excess of $69,000 for student scholarships. The scholarships are available to any Illinois high school student.
The St. Charles Veterans Center encourages all St. Charles residents to join in welcoming the riders, and encouraging them to ride on to their final destination at Cantigny Park in Winfield. Their estimated time of arrival from Rockford is 1 p.m., however that may vary. They suggest folks arrive in advance of that time, and gather at the entrance to LeRoy Oakes along the path to the large shelter, near the big red barn.