We’ve heard it said, “Man plans, and God laughs.” As we busily set about planning our annual Spring Chicken 5K in early 2020, we had no idea what was in store this year. We were excited to try out a new location (trails along the Schuylkill River in Hamburg, PA) and energized by a group of volunteers who also love running.
And then, March 2020 arrived and with it, the COVID-19 pandemic.
We weren’t sure how to proceed, but as stay-at-home orders stayed in effect, the idea of a traditional event grew harder to imagine. But we didn’t lose hope. Remember those energizing volunteers? They encouraged us to consider turning our usual 5K into a virtual event. And that’s exactly what we did!
And so, (drumroll, please) . . . Life’s Choices first ever Spring Chicken Virtual 5K will be Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7. Virtual 5Ks were new to us, but it’s a pretty easy concept:
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Today: Register Here! Those who register by May 27 are guaranteed a 2020 race shirt (yes, the chicken will be pictured with a mask!) along with a Kauffman’s chicken BBQ meal. (The first 30 to register also get a Life’s Choices water bottle, and additional meals and shirts can be ordered after registering.)
Thursday, June 4, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Pick up your race packets at the location you chose upon registering: The Bridge Church in Hamburg, Pennsylvania or Fleetwood Bible Church in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. We will practice appropriate social distancing measures, asking people to stay in their cars and delivering packets and meals to them. The Spring Chicken will be on hand to welcome our guests, even if they can’t stay and socialize. We’ll save that for next time!
Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7: walk or run your 5K course. You decide when and you map out the route that works for you and your family. Just make sure to snap a picture of you/your group on completion and post it on Facebook or Instagram along with #SpringChicken5k. You’ll be entered into a drawing for prizes — more details below!
Sunday, June 7 at 7 p.m.: Hop on our Facebook live feed. We’ll share how many people ran and give a ministry update. We’ll also draw prizes from local businesses! (This is where that hashtag comes in handy.) We are collecting gift cards from lots of local businesses to send out to drawing winners. This is a way to not only recognize our supporters but also encourage small businesses in Hamburg, Kutztown and surrounding areas.
That’s it! We hope you will consider signing up for this year’s virtual Spring Chicken 5K. In case you need more encouragement to do so, here are 5 “k’s” to go ahead and register now:
THE 5 “K’s” OF WHY YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE
# 5: Keyboard Overuse – Too many Zoom meetings? Tired of webinars? Sick of Youtube and Netflix? Get off the couch, and get moving!
#4: Keep Endorphins Flowing – Quarantine got you down? A brisk walk or run will boost your Vitamin D, feel-good hormones and immune system.
#3: Kitchen on Strike – Can’t keep up with the sourdough? Tired of creating pantry meals? Treat yourself to a Kauffman’s BBQ chicken dinner!
#2: Kids Going Crazy – Virtual school is seriously challenging! So use these ideas. . . Gym class: training for a 5k; Art Class: enter our art contest (link); Communication skills: call friends and family and take orders for Chicken BBQ dinners.
#1: Kollect for a Great Cause – # 1 Reason! Support Life’s Choices and help spread the word about our free, pro-abundant life services. We offer pregnancy tests, confirmation ultrasounds, STD testing, material assistance and practical education options to our community. And we are still offering all of these in the midst of the pandemic!
