4 minute read
Celebrating 11 years of running to the ‘Center of the World’ PAGES
Celebrating 11 years of running to the ‘Center of the World’
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
Advertisement
Even 11 years later,
the Run to the Center of the World in New Troy is still gaining new fans. bright and early at the start/ finish line at the New Troy Community Center Saturday, Oct. 22, where they then set out on a journey down the
Brodie McQuillan, a 16-yearold senior at Coloma High School who runs on the cross-country team as well as plays soccer, said he decided to give the 5K a try after a cross country meet was cancelled.
He earned second place in the 5K, with a time of 20:45.9. “I pr’d (personal record), but it was pretty good,” McQuillan said of his time.
In addition to being new to the 5K, McQuillan is also somewhat new to running – while he ran in junior high, this is his first year running in high school.
McQuillan was running with his fellow teammate on the crosscountry team - 16-year-old Boden Genovese, a junior at Coloma High School.
Genovese, who ran in the 5K before, earned the first place spot out of the runners in the 5K, with a time of 16:235.0. Having run for a while, he said crossing the finish line always instills in him a sense of accomplishment.
“It’s nice when you finish and it’s over,” he said.
Mandy Brunke, who, with a time of 26:20.1, was this year’s first place female runner, said she used to help train everyone before the 5K back in the day.
The Sawyer resident called the 5K “nostalgic,” having spent her childhood visiting there.
“I grew up playing in blueberry fields – my grandparents had a farm,” she said.
Runners and walkers began township’s rolling, paved rural roads. All finishers received a unique paved wooden plaque, which was made by Terry Hanover, president of the Friends of New Troy (FONT) Board of Directors as well as owner of Center of the World Woodshop. Afterwards, runners and walkers could pick up a breakfast bag, with some having a gift card from a local business (some having given two or three cards) in it. This year, there were 68 gift cards. For the younger set, there were also bags with tokens for the Silver Beach Carousel, passes to the Curious Kids Museum and other fun prizes.
Ollie Rosenthal, who
does “Miss Ollie’s Wiggles and Giggles Story Hour” in the community center, secured the cards and contacted sponsors for donations.
Rosenthal also prepared the breakfast. Marleen Newmiller, the race director, said Victoria Petroff designed the T-shirts. Students from River Valley High School also volunteered.
“It was a team effort,” she said.
Money raised from the 5K will go toward renovation of the library and meeting room to create a media center. Lorraine Hanover said that both the library and meeting rooms will be updated with new flooring, paint and window treatments.
Howard Speizer nears the finish line Steven Blaine crosses the finish line Amy Blaine crosses the finish line
Marta Czerniak-Manning cross the finish line Brodie McQuillan nears the finish line
Runners near the finish line Boden Genovese crosses the finish line
Walkers make their way down California Road Linda Beck crosses the finish line
Runners set off down California Road Runners are off to the races at the community center Runners are off to the races
“We’ll have age-appropriate areas in there
(the media center), we’ll have a preschool area with well mounted toys for kids,” she said, adding that there will be a little kid iPad mounted section as well as for story hour and a crafts table.
Other improvements will include tables for gaming, Lego bricks and board games.
The staff station will include storage for 20 Chromebooks that were donated by Comcast. In the meeting room, patrons will have a quiet place to work.
Lorraine said this will come in handy for those who don’t have Wi-Fi or high-speed internet.
“During Covid, I know people sat in the parking lot to use Wi-Fi for work - one teacher sat out here to Zoom her class,” she said.
The monetary goal is to raise $43,550. As of Oct. 25, $11,020 had been received or committed already. FONT has committed $7,200 and around $4,000 has been received in donations.
Lorraine has been heading the grant effort, and will be applying to the Berrien Community Foundation, the Upton Foundation and Lakeland Foundation.
A fundraiser is being planned for this winter.
Seeing improvements to
