Come join the fun Tomorrow, Sunday, July 15th, downtown Plainville for the fifth annual "GE 2012 5k Race-day"!
The Race day has attracted over 5000 people in recent years and this in some of the hottest humid weather we natives have seen in decades! However,, a near- miraculous spirit of charity and communityoutreach have consistently outweighed practical nuisance such as a bit of unseasonable heat.
In fact The 5K" Raceday" has become one of the biggest fund raisering events sponsored for the impressive Petit Family Foundation , a non profit charity that sole survivor William Petit Jr. formed in the wake of the by now infamous tragic home invasion that took the lives of his wife Jennifer and his two daughters Hayley and Michaela.
It is in their honor and thier memory that the foundation was formed and it's mission and subsequent focus culled. Eleven year old Michaela Petit unwittingly chose the Petit family foundations slogan " Be the change" when it was discovered that her favorite quote that she listed upon her facebook page was
" You must be the change that you wish to see in this world" wise words spoken originally by Mahatma Gandhi. A deep thinker Michaela at the tender age of eleven, clearly an altruistic giving young girl these qualities that her father has proudly injected into the
The 5K Raceday is one of the biggest annual fund raising events for The PFF, they expect over 8,000 participants this year, some seasoned runners train for months while others walk in an aerobic style walk athon, and children partake in a special age appropriate gaggle of races. Then there are a veritable slew of good hearted people who show up early to volunteer, and dozens of local businesses that donate goods and services.
Many folks come to show their support by simply being there enjoying some food drink company and the sense of coming together for a really important cause.
The race will be the same 3.1 mile course as last year, starting at 9:00am on Route 10 in front of McDonald's and finishing in front of the Plainville General Electric facility on Woodford Ave. There is a fitness walk (1.3 mile course) for any non-runners who would like to join in the fun, along with a Kids Fun Run (at 8:30am) which is free for all children 8 and under! There will be tons of food & beverage vendors, a massage tent, and a raffle with 6 incredible prizes including a MacBook Pro Laptop, iPad, and Gas Gift Certificates!
Again this year, the fun will begin the day before the Race, Saturday, July 14th. For those who have registered by the 13th, pre-registration pickup will be available from 12:00pm-4:30pm. Runners and walkers can come to the race site to pick up their bibs and tee shirts on Saturday to avoid common "race day lines".
Also this year, there will be a pasta dinner from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Saturday the 14th at the GE grounds! Adult tickets are $5 and children 12 and under are FREE! Live music will be performed and there will be a lot of great door prizes and giveaways!
This event was created in honor of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley Elizabeth Petit and Michaela Rose Petit.
Note from the Foundation
*All proceeds of the GE 5k Road Race assist the Petit Family Foundation in achieving our mission of: fostering the education of young people, especially women in the sciences; to improve the lives of those affected by chronic illnesses, and to support efforts to protect and help those affected by violence while continuously honoring the precious lives of Jennifer, Hayley and KK.
WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE THERE!!
Fore more information or to register online, visit the PFF web site - The Petit Family Road Race
