Road race, Oktoberfest to benefit Wilbraham Friends of Recreation

Date: 9/19/2013

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

WILBRAHAM – A road race, followed by an Oktoberfest celebration will take place on Sept. 28 to support the Wilbraham Friends of Recreation.

The fundraising event, which will feature a 5k road race as well as a one-mile walk, will take place at Spec Pond at 10 a.m. and is open to participants of all ages.

Those who sign up by Sept. 18 can pay a reduced registration fee of $20 for the road race and $10 for the walk. After Sept. 18, the fees jump to $25 and $15, respectively. Registrations will be accepted the day of the event and the first 125 registrants for the race will receive custom designed moisture-wicking shirts. Prizes will be given for various age levels.

While all ability levels are welcome for the road race, no carriages or dogs are allowed.

Later that evening, from 6 to 10 p.m., the Friends of Recreation will sponsor an evening of food and drink at the Spec Pond pavilion, provided by the Student Prince and the Fort.

“We were looking to have a dinner event and when the Fort and Student Prince threw their support behind us, that’s when the idea for an Oktoberfest celebration came about,” Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Litz said. “The idea is to have a laid-back, casual dining event and we think it’s going to be a lot of fun. There will be German-style food, music and drink.”

Tickets to the dinner are $25 and a limit of 200 tickets will be sold. The ticket includes, dinner, music a beer stein and one complimentary drink.

All proceeds from the two events will go to a maintenance fund for Wilbraham parks set up by the Friends of Recreation, which has been the driving force behind several projects benefiting the Parks and Recreation Department, including the improvements to Spec Pond.

“The Friends of Recreation’s importance in getting projects like this done has been huge,” Litz said. “Through their efforts all of the improvements to Spec Pond have been made possible without going to the town for any additional funding, which is a huge accomplishment.”

The Spec Pond project, the plans for which were first unveiled in July 2010, includes improvements to the pavilion area, three new baseball and softball diamonds, a series of walking trails throughout the park, beach improvements, a fishing dock, a spray park, a dog park, as well as making all areas of the park handicap accessible.

Litz said the project is approximately 90 percent complete.

To download a road race registration, visit the Parks and Recreation Department page on the Wilbraham town website at www.wilbraham-ma.gov/rec and returned to the office located at 45C Post Office Park. Checks should be made payable to the town of Wilbraham. For more information, call 596-2816.

To purchase tickets to the Oktoberfest, contact Keith Person by phone at 596-3661 or via email at kaprsn@aol.com. Checks should be made payable to Friends of Recreation.