Welcome to the official website for the Run For Hope 5K!

Thank you for attending the inaugural Run For Hope 5K Saturday, May 7, 2011!  It was a smashing success with 178 participants ranging in age from 4 years old to 78 years old!  We raised nearly $5,500 to benefit Hope For Tomorrow Mentoring!  The weather was perfect and there was a great sense of community!  We truly enjoyed having you attend and hope that you will consider joining us again next year as we plan on making this our annual spring event.

A special thank you goes out to all of the wonderful volunteers who put in their time and energy in making this event a success! Be sure to recognize the sponsors on this page–they made the fundraising successful and helped keep event costs down. Life Wellness Center offered fantastic services, stretching and taping runners. They were a lot of fun, too!

And a very special thank you to Diane Hagler and Roger McGaughey who took all of the photos!  Photos are now available on Valley Natural Foods’ Facebook page (3 albums).  If you haven’t already become a Friend of the co-op, or hit “Like” for the Run For Hope 5K Fan Page, make sure to stop over and do it so you can keep up with the latest and greatest with what is happening at Valley Natural Foods. 

 

Inaugural 5K
Saturday May 7, 2011
8:00 a.m.

Race begins and ends at Valley Natural Foods. Registration is located under the Crown Rent tent, generously donated for the event.

 (Click map for larger image.)

About Hope for Tomorrow 
Hope for Tomorrow Mentoring (HFT) is a non-profit mentoring organization. Their purpose is to provide one-to-one mentoring for young people. HFT provides mentoring to young boys and girls in our local community that have been identified by teachers/counselors as someone who will benefit from a trusted relationship and through this program each young person will realize his or her full potential. The mentorship program is built around the theme “Partnering with Tomorrow’s Leaders”. It was designed to help young people create individual road maps for their future by providing life skills through mentoring partnerships with successful women and men in our local community. Throughout the school year, focused sessions include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

Attitude, Choices and Peer Pressure
Career Choices and Planning for the Future Now
Healthy Mind, Body and Spirit
College Campus Visit
Dreams and Goals
Corporate Visit

Run for Hope 5K was the idea of a HFT mentor who works at Valley Natural Foods. It allows the co-op to further its mission of a healthy community by supporting the positive impact of youth mentoring in Dakota County schools.

About Valley Natural Foods
Valley Natural Foods is a community-owned cooperative serving the south metro area since 1977. Our mission is a healthy community based on our FRESH values that support Families, Relationships, Education, Sustainability and Health. A 5K is a good way to engage our community in a healthier lifestyle. We chose to benefit Hope for Tomorrow Mentoring because of the positive impact this organization has on our area youth. Valley Natural Foods provides healthy choices as a grocer, deli and community garden. We provide the highest quality organics, natural and local food at the best price. Join us for breakfast, lunch or dinner May 7 or any day to taste the difference good food makes! Visit our gardens on Race Day or ask how you can lease an affordable plot by contacting us at: community@valleynaturalfoods.com.

Partners we wish to thank for sponsoring youth runners or helping to offset event costs:

In your swag bag, look for a special $5 off coupon from Buca di Beppo to fuel up on healthy, home-cooked pasta the night before before the race! Participants will also receive a $1.00 off breakfast coupon to Valley Natural Foods for the day of the race.

 

 

 

 

 

Tips for Healthy Runners - by Dr. Ridge

Running is hard! Per minute of exercise, it burns more calories than cycling or swimming, and it can seem even harder if you haven’t done it in over six months–or six years. I had a very athletic friend who would get very frustrated because he could only run 3 blocks before he had to walk. I couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t run farther given given his overall fitness level, then we went running together. He took off so fast I didn’t bother trying to keep up with him. That was the “ah-ha” moment. Even though your lungs may be fresh, remember to start slowly and that will help you maintain your pace through your warm up and well into your workout. This will also help your injuries such as shin splints and plantar fascitis.

Dr. Ridge is a chiropractor at Life Wellness Center in Lakeville, MN. She has completed 7 full marathons and 2 Ironman triathalons. Look for the Life Wellness Center tent at Race for Hope 5K to help you stretch and tape.

Official Results, Timing and Scoring provided by John Moran of Apple Raceberry Jam. Bibs provided by Road ID.