GARDEN OF LIFE
INAUGURAL 5K
SUN RUN CHALLENGE
Surpasses Goals and Raises
$20,000 for Special Olympics
There was more than enough sun, lots of fun, and plenty
of smiles to go around when Garden of Life ® hosted its first
5K Sun Run Challenge recently at PGA National Resort
& Spa. The exciting community event drew more than
1,000 spectators and attracted runners from throughout
the country, quickly establishing the Sun Run as the premier racing
event in Palm Beach County.
“This event exceeded all of our expectations,”
said Garden of Life President Brian Ray. “Thanks to our
employees and volunteers who spent months working
on this event to make it memorable for everyone,
we had a great time and raised $20,000 for Special
Olympics in the process. We estimated we’d have 500
attendees for this first-time event, but we doubled
that and couldn’t be more pleased!”
News of the Sun Run spread quickly when the racing
community and local residents learned Garden of Life would
be giving away a new Honda Fit car valued at $20,000 in a random
drawing and cash prizes of $2,500 for the top racers in the
men’s and women’s divisions. Elite mountain runner Joe Gray
traveled from Colorado Springs to win the Men’s Elite Heat
and set a course record with a time of 14:12. Jennifer Bergman
captured first in the Women’s Heat with a time of 17:06 after
traveling from Flagstaff, Arizona.
“The prize money was too good to pass up,”
said Bergman. “And the fact that the race
benefited Special Olympics was an extra bonus!”
In a random drawing with all participants receiving an equal
chance, local resident Karen Sweeney was overjoyed when her
name was drawn for a Honda Fit car valued at $20,000.
“I’ve never won anything!” Sweeney exclaimed
as she hugged Brian Ray and accepted the car keys.
“This is amazing!”
Rich Fleming, Director of Special Olympics Palm Beach County,
said he was appreciative of Garden of Life’s ongoing support
throughout the years and that the athletes were looking
forward to competing again next year.
“It was wonderful to see all of our friends, neighbors
and competitors from all over the country turning out
for this special day,” he said. “We know that whatever
Garden of Life has planned for this event in 2017, it will
be even more exciting!”
Vol 28 • Extraordinary Health ™ 55