Running With the Dawgs
5K
From the beginning of the We Let The Dawgs Out
project, we knew we wanted to do a 5K road race with them. In Spain
you run with the bulls, and in Athens you run with the
dawgs.
The Athens-Oconee Junior Woman’s Club focuses
on improving the lives of children in our community. We wanted to
impact young girls and help give them a strong foundation in their
lives. This is done best by the Girl Scouts—they are helping
girls grow strong and impact over 5,000 girls in the Northeast
Georgia Council. All proceeds from the Running With the Dawgs 5K
went go to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Georgia.
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The official start of the first annual Running With
the Dawgs 5K.
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The first annual Running With the Dawgs 5K (a Run
and See Georgia road race) was held Monday, May 31, 2004. After
months of planning and preparing the day finally came and the
weather could not have been worse. We had a tornado watch, a severe
thunderstorm warning and torrential rain. All that was missing was
snow and ice! Since we were beginning the race at the Classic
Center, we were able to move registration and the much sought after
Jittery Joe’s coffee into the Theater lobby. The bad weather
did not deter any runners or walkers. We were amazed that almost
everyone who pre-registered came, and we had over 100 walk up
register! We had a total of 335 entrants into the race. Everyone
received a race bag filled with items from the sponsors and a
process color T-shirt featuring all the bulldawgs on the
course.
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Club member Ruth Schriefer and Race Director Will
Chamberlin welcome everyone to the race.
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At 8:30 am , in the pouring down rain, the runners
lined up at the starting line. Athens-Oconee Junior Woman’s
Club member Ruth Schriefer, welcomed and Race Director, Will
Chamberlin, gave the rules and the race began. As the runners ran
through the streets of downtown Athens they were greeted by happy
club members and Girl Scouts Troops on the corner cheering them on
and directing them the correct direction to turn at corners. The
finish line was behind the Classic Center at the Foundry Street
Warehouses. We had planned to have the food and awards on the
plaza, but the weather forced us indoors. We held these in the
beautifully resorted Foundry Street Warehouses. The runners
devoured the bountiful spread of bananas, bagels and oranges. Thank
you to Propel, Smoothie King and Jittery Joe’s coffee for
after race drinks. After everyone had completed the race, awards
were presented. The first place finishers in Male, Female and
Masters received a brass bulldawg trophy. The first, second and
third place finishers in each age category received pottery from
Short Dog Pottery and R. Wood Studios. Everyone who enter into the
race was eligible for the grand prize drawing—a 17”
painted bulldawg “Run and See Georgia” by artist Brent
Chitwood.
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Jarryd Wallace, the lucky winner of "Run and See
Georgia" bulldawg by artist Brent Chitwood.
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With the support of the members of the Athens-Oconee
Junior Woman’s Club, Girl Scout Brownie Troop #2046 and
Brownie Troop #2170, the runners and the following sponsors we
raised $5,100 for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Georgia. Thank you
to Athens Parent Magazine, Bariatric Weight Loss, Chick-Fil-A
Georgia Square Mall, Crown Transfer and Storage, The Classic
Center, CowPainters, Forum Antiques, Foundry Park Inn, Donald W.
Hansford, Attorney at Law, Clementi Holder, Jackson EMC, Jittery
Joe’s, Johnson Insurance Services, Loco’s Deli and Pub,
Lowe’s, Neese Grocery, Graphic Content Screeneprinitng,
Jingles, Newman and Nail, DMD, Silver and Archibald, LLP, Smoothie
King, UGA Alumni Association, Wheels and Waves and John Wolfe for
making the race a success.
