Springfield’s Woodland Heights Neighborhood – as well as the charities of the PGA Web.com Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper – received another positive boost Saturday as nearly 300 turned out for the annual Habitat Home Run.
Hosted at Lafayette Park, the event was a 10K, 5K and 1-mile run engineered by Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, MO as it builds on its nearly Neighborhood Revitalization in Woodland Heights.
Habitat for Humanity is among the 47 charities of the PCCC, and the annual run again drew a number of sponsors, including Great American Title Company and American Eagle Insurance. The event included Springfield’s Largest Water Balloon Fight.
“It’s absolutely amazing that we grew the race by 50 runners this year,” said Abby Glenn, Development Associate for Habitat for Humanity of Springfield. “Habitat is really excited to expose the community to a neighborhood we are revitalizing.”
The course meandered through 10 blocks of Woodland Heights, passing the artistic utility poles that have come to define the area in recent years and also passing through the Moon City Creative District. Habitat made a commitment here about two years ago as a way to expand its reach. (For all race-day photos, check out facebook.com/pricecuttercc.)
So it was no surprise that the neighborhood rallied around the Habitat Home Run and the PCCC. Habitat plans to place its PCCC funds this year toward Woodland Heights.
“There are people in the neighborhood who have lived here for years and need help,” said Linda Passeri, President of Woodland Heights Neighborhood. “We want to help their quality of life, as well as let younger families know that this is a great neighborhood.”
Grant Musick, a 12-year-old, won the 10K in 38 minutes, 12.07 seconds. Grace Andrews had the best time among women, finishing in 43:23.85. Meanwhile, Shane Logan won the 5K in 19:19.59, while Karen McKinnis won the women’s 5K in 22:14.55.
In the 10K, Claudio Dinamarca (39:38) and Ayman Andrews (40:40) placed second and third in the men’s division. In the women’s division, Trina Wilcox (47:30) and Andrea Bench (48:00) placed second and third.
In the 5K, Brandon Sherrer (20:56) and Todd Wilkins (21:36) placed second and third in the men’s division, while Sharla Mathes (23:25) and Liz Kyger (23:34) place second and third in the women’s division.
“We had the most wonderful time out here,” said Larry Peterson, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, MO, singling out his staff, volunteers and the PCCC staff. “We still build homes and rehab homes for individual partner families and have 10 partner families in the pipeline right now working toward earning their home.
“But what we found (a few years ago) was that had slowed down and we had these resources. So we decided, rather than wait, to go out and do A Brush With Kindness projects, Critical Home Repair and Creating Healthy Homes,” Peterson said. “This is really something Habitat International is doing … so we can keep people in their homes – seniors, disabled or people who couldn’t afford to do the repairs themselves.”
Saturday’s Habitat Home Run was among a number of events that have taken place already this year in Woodland Heights. It’s been part of 150 projects in the past year alone for Habitat.
“When I go home at night, my wife will say, ‘How has your day been?’” Peterson said. “And I say, ‘We got that much closer to putting someone into a home or keeping their home.’”