King City Rotary Hosts Successful Fun Run on March 30; Amidst wind and rain, the Rabbit Run Made its 3rd appearance in King City, Promoting Camaraderie and Wellness!

 

King City, CA— The Rotary Club of King City hosted its 3rd annual Rabbit Run on Saturday, March 30, off Oasis Road in King City.  Participants faced 18mph winds and occasional sprinkles throughout the otherwise bright, sunny morning. Rotary hosted 124 runners and walkers on an exhilarating route through the San Bernabe Vineyard estate of Delicato Family Wines.  Mee Memorial occupational therapist and Rotarian Barry MacGregor volunteered his time and skills on-site to provide medical attention as needed.  MacGregor also brought his bicycle and served as the pacesetter for the 5K, ensuring no runners went astray in the vineyard.

            Leading the way on the 5K was the overall and top male runner, Josh Riley, and Emily Cole for female runner. Top male 5K runners from their respective age categories are as follows: Raymundo Hernandez, Larry Umbarger, Alfonso Garcia, and Axel Clifton. Top female 5K runners are Marsha Green, Karen Park, and Hadassah Todd. In the 1-mile fun run, Beatrice Sanchez took first place overall and top female runner, and Adrian Diaz was the top placing male runner. Other top participants in the one mile are Carmen Meza Gomez, Sue Gourley, Maria Temoxle, and Leilani Ortiz for the females. José De Jesús Garcia, John Pekema, Joseph Simbre, and Derek Garcia placed first for the male age categories. Rotary offered a “no gender specified” category to participants this year, and acknowledges the registered fun run participants who placed first in their age category, but declined to provide their names.

Many treats awaited runners and walkers at the end of their respective courses, some for children and some for adults. For children, Peppa Pig made an appearance. In the spirit of Easter, Peppa donned a pair of Easter Bunny ears and posed for photos with excited children, as well as some young at heart adults.  Delicato Family Wines hosted a wine tasting table for participants of appropriate age. The is the second year that the Rabbit Run hosted a post-course wine tasting.  The activity served runners and walkers a delightful opportunity to congratulate one another on accomplishing their wellness goals.

The event proceeds will support the Rotary Club of King City Foundation scholarship program. To date, the scholarship program has awarded over $136,000 in scholarships to graduates of King City High School. This year’s top overall 5K runner is a recipient of one such Foundation scholarship. “I graduated in 2021 from King City High,” said Josh Riley, who finished first overall in the 5K, granting him a coveted carrot cake prize and $300 in prize money and merchandise from Kasey Fitness.  “Now, I go to UC Merced where I’m on the track and cross country team. I also joined the UC Merced Rotaract Club, which is the college level version of Rotary.  It’s a great service organization and I want to give back to my community just like Rotary has given to me.” 

The 85 runners in the 5K course and 39 participants in the 1-mile course received Rabbit Run 2024 custom t-shirts and a participation ribbon. The top male and female runners in the five different age categories additionally received a medal and a carrot cake. Kasey’s Fitness donated prize baskets, which Rotary awarded to top overall runners and raffled to all participants based on bib number.

If you didn’t make it this year, Rotary aims for the opportunity to present itself again in 2025.  Rotary thanks Event Committee Chair TJ Plew-Hearne for her hard work behind the scenes in organizing this event.

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Over the past 90+ years, the Rotary Club of King City, along with other community-minded clubs, has been instrumental in supporting scores of organizations and programs that make King City a great place to live.

Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.

Rotary is nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.

The Rotary Club of King City meets weekly, on Wednesdays at noon, at Cork & Plough, 200 Broadway, King City, CA 93930.