Annual 5K Benefits BackPack Buddies Program

CARTERSVILLE, GA — The second annual Cartersville 5K and 1 mile Road Race will be held Saturday, and runners and walkers alike are encouraged to take part in an event benefiting less fortunate children throughout Bartow County.

The 5K kicks off at 8 a.m. Aug. 25 while the 1-mile run will begin after the 5K wraps up or around 8:45 a.m. Pre-race registration for the 5K and 1-mile run has ended, but race-day registration will begin at 6:45 a.m. Saturday. Race-day registration is $35 for the 5K and $25 for the 1-mile race.

Participants should note that the start and finish lines will be in separate locations, and the staging area — including event parking and race day registration — will be located in the parking lot between the Bartow County Courthouse and Sam Jones Methodist Church at 135 West Cherokee Avenue.

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Race day registration will also be located in the adjacent Bartow County Courthouse parking lot located directly across Church Street behind the courthouse. The 5K is a certified course and a Peachtree Road Race qualifier. If you want to celebrate completing the race, plan to hang around afterwards for age group awards presentations, vendors, music and craft beer.

The BackPack Buddies Program provides students in the Cartersville City and Bartow County school systems who live in food-insecure homes with weekend meals throughout the school year. All proceeds raised for the event will be directed to the program.

Bartow county businesses, civic group, churches and residents collect and pack bags with non-perishable food. Children receive a backpack containing nutritious, self-serve food that will sustain them when school meals are not available. The children are selected by school principals, guidance counselors, social workers and various after school programs who identify the "at-risk" child.

You can learn more about the Bartow County Backpack Buddies program by visiting its website. For more information, call the Cartersville Downtown Development Authority at 770-607-3480.

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