ATHENS- February 2019 – At the end of the 2018 year, volunteers from Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty, including Charlie Upchurch himself, came together to form a committee that would plan a fundraiser to help complete the Firefly Trail in Athens, GA. The Firefly Trail is a planned, partially constructed, multi-purpose path for pedestrian, bicycle, and other non-motorized uses that will stretch 39 miles from Athens to Union Point, Georgia. It runs along the corridor of the historic Athens Branch of the Georgia Railroad.
The fundraising event is called the Firefly Trail .5K and Funfest. That’s a point 5K, or 1/3 of a mile, on the existing portion of the Firefly Trail (behind The Mark in downtown Athens), so anyone can participate. Anyone can attend as a spectator and registration for race participants is available online or the day of. It will take place at Dudley Park in Athens on Saturday, April 13th from 9AM to 3PM. Attendees can look forward to a day of races, vendors, food trucks, art, and family fun activities. Bulldog 93.3 will also be there providing music for the event.
There will be four races throughout the day: An individual sprint, individual backwards, wheel race (125 mm or smaller…no bikes!), and a family chain race (participants must be touching). Registration is $25 for one race, and $5 for each additional race. The family rate (4 people) is $75. Racers will receive a wrist band corresponding with their chosen race(s) and an event t-shirt. To register for the race, visit active.com and search Firefly Trail. There you will also find a map and directions to the event location. All proceeds will go directly to Firefly Trail, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the construction and completion of the Firefly Trail.
Parking will be available in the parking lots for Dudley Park, with additional parking in the downtown parking garages, and street parking around the park. In case of rain, the races will go on. Delay of the start may happen in case of severe weather in the area at race time. If sever weather continues, then the race director or local authorities may make the call to cancel the race at that time. There will be no refunds for cancellation due to weather.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. If you wish to participate as a sponsor, you can contact David Hadden, REALTOR® at Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty and Committee Director, at 352-339-0109 or email at DavidHaddenRealtor@gmail.com by March 13th, 2019. Donations can also be made by dropping them off at Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty at 2405 West Broad Street in Athens, GA. Firefly Trail, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so all sponsorships and donations for the .5K and Funfest are tax deductible. See you on the trail!
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