Planning is underway for the second annual Chance Mark Jones Memorial 5K, which will be held Saturday, April 12, and help fund new playground equipment at City Park.
The race and playground project is sponsored by the Clarendon Lions Club in conjunction with Child Abuse Prevention Month to raise awareness of child abuse.
Last year’s race and subsequent donations, including most recently $1,000 from the Bairfield Foundation, have raised more than $23,000 of the needed $33,000 to purchase playground equipment.
The Clarendon Board of Aldermen gave their blessing to the playground project last week and approved placing the equipment in the southwest corner of the park near the covered pavilion there.
The equipment when installed will be 21 feet by 15 feet and will accommodate up to 29 children in ages ranging from two to 12. The playground will also be designed to include four play components that will meet the needs of children with disabilities.
The race and playground are intended to honor the life of four-year-old Jones, who died from abuse in 2011.
Sponsorships are now being sought for the race and registrations for runners/walkers are also being accepted.
This year’s race will start and end at Clarendon College and will run through town and by the future site of the playground equipment. The start time is 9 a.m.
The event is expected to draw several out-of-town athletes to the community, as running events continue to gain in popularity and participation in them increases. Last year’s event drew more than 200 participants.
For more information, contact Boss Lion Ashlee Estlack at ashlee.estlack@clarendoncollege.edu or 806-874-4808 or 806-662-4687 or Lion Chandra Eggemeyer at tourism@cityofclarendon.com or 806-874-2421 or 325-234-3401. Race registrations are available at the Clarendon Visitor Center at the Mulkey Theatre or online at http://bit.ly/1dF0BdH.
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