District 117 teachers are gaining assistance from a 5k run on the square tomorrow morning.
The Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation is holding their 5k Run/Walk for Education tomorrow morning in and around the Downtown Square. Registration is $23 and includes, pending availability, a free t-shirt for supporting District 117 teachers with the Teacher Grants.
This will be the eighth running of the Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation 5k Run.
Amy Albers is the Executive Director of the Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation. Albers explains just how beneficial the availability of the grants is for District 117 teachers.
“We started this event in 2011 because we really didn’t have a funding source for our Teacher Grants for teachers in District 117. Since then, we’ve been able to give away between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars each year. We’re over the $35,000 mark and quickly approaching the $40,000 overall giveaway mark. This lets teachers really be specific about what they need to enhance the curriculum in their classrooms, like books or expensive calculators. The budget gets them what they need, and this is a way to enhance things.”
Albers says 8 a.m. is not too early for exercise on and around the Jacksonville square.
“We’re going to continue taking registration in the morning. We’ll open up at 7 a.m. and the race begins at 8 a.m. right from the Downtown Square, over by Illinois Theater on the Northeast end. That time of morning is really nice on the square. There’s very little traffic so it’s a great time to have a race. The coffee shop will be open after the race, so it’s really neat to be on the square at that time. Registration is $23, and we have about 20 or 25 t-shirts left available right now, and those will be first-come-first-serve.”
Albers offers a step-by-step plan for tomorrow morning’s 5k Walk/Run.
“We start at Illinois Theater, then take a half turn around the square and exit down South Main. Then, they’re going to turn right on College Avenue all the way down to Webster. From Webster, runners will go down to Lafayette, come back up Sandusky, and the course finishes by the square down West State Street, right by the new District 117 offices.”
Albers says the number given to you can be used again after the 5k.
“We always have the most fabulous drawing prizes. After the race is completed, we’ll draw bib numbers and we have 40 really fabulous drawing prizes, so everyone sticks around. Then after that, a $5 registration will be accepted for kids 12 and under for a one-half-kilometer (0.5k) Walk/Run around the square which will begin at 9 a.m.”
If you have any questions about the 5k before tomorrow morning’s registration begins at 7 by Illinois Theater on the square, you can call Amy Albers at (217) 370-1994.