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Annual Peach Festival Road Race needs participants

By Natasha Clark

Assistant Managing Editor



WILBRAHAM The Fourth Annual Peach Festival Road Race and Fun Run/Walk is slated for Aug. 17. Pre-registration applications are now available throughout town.

The annual race, hosted by the Knights of Columbus 10195, is responsible for awarding over $7,000 in scholarships in the past three years. This spring three $1,000 scholarships were given to graduating seniors of both Minnechaug Regional and Cathedral high schools.

Race committee member Roger L. Fontaine Jr. said that the success of the yearly event is due in part to its affiliation with the Peach Festival. Of course, without participants the actual race couldn't happen either. That is why they continue to raise their expectations for the number of runners/walkers. Fontaine said each year the number of participants has steadily risen.

"Our goal is to attract as much as 200 entrants. The first year [the number of participants was] in the 150s. Last year it was just over 180. We want to keep it prosperous for the years to come. This is not something we want to fall by the wayside," Fontaine said.

The race is five miles and the Fun Run/Walk is 1.5 miles.

Applications are available at Louis & Clark Drug Store on Main Street in Wilbraham, the Scantic Valley YMCA located in Post Office Park or by sending an e-mail to Fontaine at rogfontaine@charter.net. Pre-registration cost are $18 and $20 the day of the race. The cost includes a long sleeved T-shirt, a pancake breakfast and prizes in several categories from teens to seniors in both male and female sections.