With a little less than three weeks until the first-ever Commit to Get Fit 5K/10K, a fundraising walk and run hosted by St. Joseph Healthcare, participant sign-ups are still coming through at a steady rate.
Maddie Ahola, a senior at Bangor High School, is one of the most recent registrants. She and several of her soccer teammates have committed to doing the 5K walk — and they’re working on getting the rest of the team to sign up, too.
Given that the school year has only just begun, you might think that students would be focused solely on getting back into school mode after summer vacation. But Ahola said she feels it is important to support the event by getting involved.
She said there are several reasons why she and her teammates signed up, including that the proceeds from the race will benefit St. Joseph’s SAFE Nurse program, which supports patients who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence or human trafficking.
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Ahola thinks it’s fantastic that the money raised will go to such an important cause. She’s also supportive of the Commit to Get Fit’s other goal — fostering better health and well-being by encouraging people to get active.
“It’s a chance to not only be more active myself, but to promote healthy living and exercise to my team and others too,” Ahola said. “I also try and lead by example — to show that young people in Bangor can and do get involved in community events like this.”
The high school soccer season started last week, and although the team had the opportunity to train a bit over the summer, Ahola believes the Commit offers a chance for some extra team bonding.
“It’s a great way for our soccer team to spend some time together, off the field,” Ahola said.
Ahola and the girls soccer team are not the only young people who have become involved. Members of the Bangor High School cross-country team have also registered to volunteer for the run, and a number of younger folks have signed up to help out alongside their parents.
The kids’ fun run has number of little ones younger than 5 ready to take part. The Commit to Get Fit 5k/10k is happening Sunday, Sept. 29, starting at Broadway Park.
For more information or sign up, visit stjoeshealing.org/commit.