Benefactor matching registrations for Run for the Hills 5K at Hidden Lake Gardens
TIPTON — When people register to run or walk the Oh These Irish Hills! Run for the Hills 5K fundraiser, which takes place in person and virtually later this month, 100% of the registrations will be matched by a longtime participant and benefactor.
Some know the late Grace Edwards Owens because she helped them sell or find their home. She is best known for serving Lenawee County as a real estate agent and broker of Irish Hills Realty from 1972-2001.
She was a past president of the Irish Hills Chamber of Commerce and Lenawee County Board of Realtors. After retiring in 2001, she expressed her talents as an artist, writer, golfer and runner. As a runner, she won many 5Ks in her age group, her last being at 80 years of age at Hidden Lake Gardens in Run for the Hills.
Knowing how Owens loved to spread the joy of running and support the Reach for the Sky project at Hidden Lake Gardens, Owens will be granting a 100% match of all registrations for the race.
The 12th annual Oh These Irish Hills! Run for the Hills 5K run/walk fundraiser takes place in person at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton. There is also a virtual option, where people can participate between Sept. 18 and Oct. 2.
Advance registration is $35. The fee is $40 the day of the run/walk. Children run for $15 in advance, but prices go up the day of the race. Registration is from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. The virtual options range from $10 to $30, depending on age and distance. People who register by today will receive a T-shirt.
Learn more about the race and sign up at otih.org or call Kay Roumell at 517-403-5358 or email her at kroumell@frontiernet.net.
Owens died in February at the age of 85. She loved fitness and the Oh These Irish Hills! Run for the Hills.
"I remember moving here from Missouri 54 years ago," Owens’ daughter, Zonya Edwards Foco, said. “There was not a year that we didn't go to Hidden Lake Gardens to hike the trails, visit the tropical and desert domes and have a picnic. And the best memories are running the Oh These Irish Hills! Run for the Hills 5K together. From when I would run faster than her, and then run back to her to run in together, to when we walked the whole thing together when she was 80, my mom and I have loved this race and her getting her age group awards, many times over."
The Reach for the Sky project will include construction of a 700-foot canopy walk, which is an elevated walkway through the trees. Phase two will then include a 10-story, Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible treetop tower. The project is designed to provide significant opportunities for education, outreach, research, visitor experience, tourism and economic development.
For every adult or child registering for the 5K or 1-mile walk or run, all registration tickets will double the revenue raised.
“So please, whether you walk or run, do one mile or the 5K, please come out and join in on the fun, knowing that your ticket contribution has double its power to 'Gracefully' support our community treasures," Foco said
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Benefactor matching registrations for Run for the Hills 5K
