PCCC: Habitat Home Run yet another successful event

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For the 44 charities of the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper – and particularly for the Nikita Key family — Saturday morning marked yet another successful day.

The annual Habitat Home Run, coupled with Springfield’s Largest Water Balloon Fight, drew more than 200 to the Price Cutter Supermarket near the corner of Republic Road and Kansas Expressway.

Garren Shelley, a 15-year-old tennis player at Kickapoo High School, won the 5-kilometer run in 22 minutes, 47.84 seconds. Christy Mahan won the female division of the 5K in 24:03.29.

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Scott Nelson won the 10K men’s division in 43:48.11 while Karen McKinnis won the female division of the 10K in 48:59.49. Kellie Neal won the one-mile run.

For Shelley, the victory piques his interest in joining Kickapoo’s cross country team.

“It’s a great cause – Habitat for Humanity,” Shelley said. “Plus, my mom is a huge volunteer worker here and she asked me if I wanted to run.”

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Several dozen children participated in the water balloon fight, and Jerald Andrews – Tournament Director of the PCCC – brought a huge water gun, too.

Proceeds from the event go to the PCCC. Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, MO is placing its share toward Key and her three children. Key is buying a Habitat home with a zero percent interest, 20-year loan. Construction is expected to be completed in April 2016.

Several runners expressed appreciation for the event, given the dollars go toward great charities of the Ozarks.

Neal and her husband, Matt, said as much.

“We do like Habitat,” Matt said.

Seth Harrell competed, despite running in a race – a half-marathon – in the past year.

“I got it on a discounted coupon on Half-Price Ozarks,” Harrell said, noting that he plays basketball and hits the gym regularly. “I feel like I did a good job. The water stations really helped.”

The PCCC, which was decided on Aug. 16 when Dawie Van der Walt won the 26th tournament, has several more events on the calendar. The next are the Cardinals Care Pro-Am on Monday at Buffalo Ridge Golf Course south of Branson and the Bryan Properties Nighttime Golf Classic on Thursday at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club.

The Harvest Moon Festival, an elegant culinary event featuring regional chefs, is set for Sunday, Sept. 13 on the driving range of Highland Springs Country Club.

For more information, call 887-3400.