By Jack Anthony

The Pikes Peak Road Runners will host the 7th annual Veterans’ Home Run 5K run/3K walk on Saturday, September 8th, at 8:00 am at South Monument Valley Park.  This section of the park is located just north of Bijou St near the intersection of West View Place and Boulder Crescent Street.  As you know, the affects of the Waldo Canyon fire prompted us to wisely postpone the race from its original June 30^th date and Memorial Park location.  We are happy to report “WE are GO for VHR 2012” on September 8^th at South Monument Valley Park.”  We hope you will kick off your fall running season with us at the 7^th annual Veterans’ Home Run!  Proceeds go to help local veterans in need who reside at the Colorado Veterans Resource Coalition’s Crawford House located downtown on South Weber.

More than seven years ago Pikes Peak Road Runners board member Jim “Grouch” Beckenhaupt described his encounter with a fellow veteran who lived at the Crawford House.  He proposed that the club take on the challenge of putting on an annual benefit run to help Crawford House, the veteran residents and staff with their financial challenges as a non profit.  That ignited a commitment to hold the Veterans’ Home Run each year as a lasting and reliable means to support the Crawford House program. 

Be a champion on the course as well as in the hearts of our veterans in need and their caregivers and step up to VHR 2012!  The 5K will use the course PPRR uses for the Tortoise and the Hare challenge.  It is a fan friendly venue suitable for you to set a personal record while your family and friends cheer you on.  Pikes Peak Road Runners has arranged for VHR 2012 participants to park in the “reserved for Young Life” parking lot and spaces that are located at the end of Boulder Street, where it dead ends at the park.

There is limited and metered (they start at 9:00 am) street parking in this area, so do take advantage of this wonderful Young Life organization effort to help us with parking and allow you to park in their spaces.  Additionally, the Catholic Pastoral Center is allowing us to use their parking lot to support the race and festivities.   We’ll be using their lot to support parking for our fabulous volunteers who will present the race and all the fun afterwards (raffle door prize, your Bib number is you ticket to win cool prizes).

If you have already registered for the original running of the VHR 2012 on June 30^th, then you are all set for the race and we’ll see you at packet pick up which opens 7:00 am in the park.  The PPRR web site (www.pprrun.org) has all the details and you can register at active.com as well, or visit your favorite Colorado Springs running store.  Registration is $15.00 for veterans and active duty and reserve military and $20.00 for those who benefit from our military friends.  We waive the registration fee for blind and disabled athletes.  There is registration on race day, please get to the park early to ensure we get you registered and all set for the run or walk.

Your participation in the Veterans’ Home Run makes a huge difference in helping our local veterans in need.  Our sponsors help cover race expenses and the remainder of their contributions as well as your entry fees go direct to the Crawford House program.  Our sponsors include Jack Quinn's, The Rotary Club of Colorado Springs, CAS, Huberty Performance Learning, LLC and the Pikes Peak Road Runners.  Be a part of a great cause and take part in the Veterans’ Home Run on Saturday, 8:00 am, 8 September at South Monument Valley Park.