Fitness, fun to prevail at ‘Mommy and Me’ event

by Darren Diekmann

news@thenewsleaders.com

Mommies and others are invited to pack up the kids and the stroller and come out for a day of running or walking along with many other activities at Lions Park for the next “Mommy and Me 5K” Aug. 27 at Sauk Rapids Lions Park.

The invitation comes from Ashley Keller, the organizer, and high-octane mother of two who has held the event for the past three months this year.

“This is not a competition,” Keller said. “It’s a chance to get mothers, parents and their kids out of the house, into the community and have some fun.”

Despite the name, the event is for “dads, cousins, friends, everyone of all ages,” Keller said. It’s free and registration is online or at the event. It starts at 10 a.m., but there is no specific start for the 5K since it isn’t timed and is not a race. The route goes from Lions Park to Sauk Rapids Municipal Park and back.

At the three previous Mommy and Me events this year, participants have been mostly mothers walking with young kids who are either in strollers or walking along with mom. But Keller said some participants ran or rode trikes or bikes. Some walked the entire route, some completed only part of it and some just participated in the games and other activities available for the kids. People are free to do as much or little as they want.

There are also other activities throughout the day.

For babies who are mobile, Keller has devised the Diaper Crawl. She has set up a large tarp and marked off five lanes. Then mothers encourage their children to crawl from one end to the other in friendly competition to see who has the fastest baby.

“People circle around so they can watch the babies,” Keller said. “It’s been a big hit, people think it’s pretty cute.”

Toddlers and older kids can play hopscotch and other games on squares Keller has had drawn along the route. They can also navigate through the pool-noodle obstacle course, a collection of cones, hula hoops and noodles configured into arches, set up in the park.

And a number of parents always stick around to take advantage of the weather and the chance for their kids to play with other kids on the playground, Keller said.

Keller was even able to secure sponsors for the 5K and will be selling $5 raffle tickets at the event. The grand prize is four wristbands for unlimited rides at Nickelodeon Universe and four Moose Mountain Golf passes, both at the Mall of America. There will be more than a dozen other similar prizes that can keep kids active.

Keeping families active is what Keller said the Mommy and Me 5K is about.

“It seems like now everything is so plugged in,” Keller said. “So much is centered around TVs and computers, so I wanted to focus on getting out and being active with your kids, not just dropping them off somewhere.”

To register or learn more about the Mommy and Me 5K, you can go to Keller’s website at www.hotmessmomsfitness.com.