by Frank Lee
operations@thenewsleaders.com
St. Joseph residents and businesses may be surprised come May when participants in The Old Glory Run race through the area instead of competing in Cold Spring.
The annual event will take place in St. Joseph instead of Cold Spring because of construction, according to Dave Wentzel, associate executive director of the Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota Foundation.
“It’s a challenge to move it, but going out into different communities like St. Joseph is something we’ve been wanting to do to begin with,” Wentzel said.
“We also do a run up in Camp Ripley,” he added. “Last year, it was kind of planned at the last minute, so this year, we’re getting a good jump on it to try to make it even more successful and try to get out into the smaller communities to host events like this.
The Old Glory Run to be held Saturday, May 21 in St. Joseph will consist of a 5k run/walk and a 1k kids’ fun run, and the proceeds will help the DAV of Minnesota Foundation.
“We do have volunteers who take the veterans out from the VA hospital and wheel them around,” Wentzel said of The Old Glory Run, which included about 1,200 participants last year.
Wentzel noted that the Minnesota population of veterans is 369,000, roughly 7 percent of the state’s population. Of that number, (more than) 18,000 are members of the Disabled American Veterans.
Medals will be awarded to the top three men and women in each age category in the 5k run/walk: 13 and under, 14 to 19, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 and older. Finisher medals will be awarded to all the participants in the 1k kids’ fun run.
“Although the funds are important, the real benefit comes by way of recognition of service, community awareness, and education of programs and services that are available to veterans and their families,” Wentzel said of The Old Glory, now in its fifth year.
“We have one of the bigger transportation programs – getting veterans to and from VA medical appointments – and this last year, the Minnesota DAV was No. 1 in the nation for rides for veterans, (more than) 1.7 million miles traveled and (more than) 29,000 veterans got rides to appointments,” said Wentzel.
There is a reduced fee for individuals to enter the 5k run/walk and for kids participating in the 1k kids’ fun run before April 15.
“We wanted to do a 10K in St. Joe, but since it was a new community for us, we wanted to make sure we can at least make a 5K work because for a 10K to work, you have to have a pretty good plan for that stretch of road,” he said.
Packet pick-up at Colt’s Academy will be available from 4-6 p.m. Friday, May 20 and starting at 7 a.m. on the day of the event. Colt’s Academy is located at 124 First Ave. SE in St. Joseph.
For more information about The Old Glory Run or to register for the event, visit www.theoldgloryrun.com.
Participants in The Old Glory Run race through the streets of Cold Spring in this 2014 photo, but this year the annual event will be held May 21 in St. Joseph because of construction.
Volunteers at The Old Glory Run take disabled American veterans through the streets of Cold Spring in this 2014 photo but this year the annual event will be held in St. Joseph on May 21 because of construction.
Participants in The Old Glory Run race through the streets of Cold Spring in this 2015 photo, but this year the annual event will be held May 21 in St. Joseph because of construction.
