Get ready to lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement as Humane Society Calumet Area (HSCA) and Lan-Oak Park District host the fourth annual Spay the Stray 5K Run/Walk on September 6 in Lansing, Ill.
The race begins at 9 a.m. at Eisenhower Center, 2550 178th St, Lansing, Ill. and this year’s course is a new and improved single loop route traveling through the nearby neighborhood.
All ages are welcome to participate. Proceeds benefit spay and neuter surgeries performed at HSCA’s Estelle Marcus Animal Clinic.
Runners and spectators can visit the HSCA and Estelle Marcus Animal Clinic booths to learn more about the lifesaving efforts of HSCA. In addition, Smoothie King once again will sell smoothies to runners and spectators, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting HSCA.
Registration takes place from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. and an awards ceremony follows the race. Medals are awarded to the top three runners in each age group and plaques are given to the overall top male and female runners.
Before September 1, registration costs $20 with a t-shirt and $18 without a t-shirt. After September 1 and on the day of the race, registration costs $25 with a t-shirt and $23 without a t-shirt.
To register online or download a registration form, visit www.hscalumet.org/spaythestray.asp. Registration forms also are available at Humane Society Calumet Area, 421 45th St, Munster, Ind; PAWS Resale Shoppe, 8149 Kennedy Ave, Highland, Ind. and Eisenhower Center, 2550 178th St, Lansing, Ill.
Volunteer, donation and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Ashley Boyer at aboyer@hscalumet.org or (219) 513-8911, ext. 103.
About Spay the Stray 5K
Spay the Stray 5K is dedicated in memory of Bill and Helen Evans. An all-around athlete at Thornton Fractional South High School and the first to qualify for the Illinois state cross country competition, Bill Evans passed away suddenly from a brain tumor shortly before entering his senior year of high school.
Bill’s mother, Helen Evans, worked for the Lan-Oak Park District for many years and asked the park district to host a race in honor of his memory. For 33 years, the park district hosted Bill and Helen Evans memorial run, named for Helen after her passing, before joining forces with HSCA for a combined race in 2010.
About Humane Society Calumet Area
Founded by concerned citizen Miss Evelyn Sweitzer in 1941, Humane Society Calumet Area aims to lead the community in the humane treatment of animals by providing vital community services. In 2013, more than 1,500 homeless animals found homes through HSCA and many lost animals were reunited with their families. Additional HSCA services include spay and neuter surgeries for families with financial hardship at Estelle Marcus Animal Clinic, pet therapy teams that visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities, a humane education team that teaches local children about pet safety and compassion, and rehabilitation for wildlife at Moraine Ridge Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.