ROSSBURG – The 6th annual Heart and Sole 5K race at Eldora Speedway saw a record number of entrants participate in the Saturday morning event. Kristi Strawser, Executive Director at State of the Heart Care opened the day’s events by singing the National Anthem.
“All the proceeds from the race today go to our care center which is our Inpatient Unit inside Wayne HealthCare,” stated Strawser. “It’s a nice family run.”
Tribute Funeral Homes was the Presenting Sponsor of the race that saw 312 entrants join the race.
“It means the world because being the only locally owned funeral home and working with Hospice hand in hand every day,” said Eric Fee, owner of Tribute. “Not only that, we have worked with them personally. My grandmother was in the Hospice Care Unit which is what we are sponsoring today so it is close to my heart. “It’s about the community, it’s about the togetherness, it’s about the support of the local State of the Heart Hospice – it’s from the heart.”
A first for the annual event was a pancake eating contest sponsored by Drew AG Transport, Inc. with the winner earning a traveling pancake trophy.
“We raised close $500 extra through businesses,” noted Fee. “Craig Riethman of F45 Training was the winner of a traveling trophy that he gets to keep for one year and will have an opportunity to retain the trophy by winning the contest again next year.”
Heading up the 5K event was first year race director Erica Wood.
Erica Wood used to be in our finance department and has recently transitioned into the business development specialist role so this is all new to her,” said Barbara Bell, Director of Business Development at State of the Heart Care. “She has done a great job, our 5-K committee has done a great job and then we have volunteer employees as well in addition to the committee. There are 15 or 16 State of the Heart staff that have helped pull this off.”
Presenting Sponsor: Tribute Funeral Home
Gold Sponsors: Dave Connelly-Edward Jones, Greenville National Bank, Second National Bank
Silver Sponsors: Brethren Retirement Community, Briarwood, Celina Manor, ProCare Hospice Care, Greenville Federal, Greenville Health & Rehab Center, Heritage Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center, Kaup Pharmacy, McGohan Brabender, MJS Plascics, Inc., Spirit Medical Transport, VonLehman, Wayne Health Care
Bronze Sponsors: JAFE Decorating, Inc., Randall Insurance Agency, Inc., Zechar Bailey Funeral Home
Supporting Sponsors: Greenville SNAP Fitness
Pancake Breakfast Sponsor: Drew AG Transport, Inc.
