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The Americus Correspondent

The Americus Campus of the Methodist Children’s Home will host its 13th Annual Home Run 5k and 1 mile Fun Run on Saturday, June 7th at the First Methodist Church, 200 S. Lee St., Americus. The 1 mile Fun Run starts at 7:45 a.m. and the 5k starts at 8:00 a.m. Race day registration opens at 7:15 a.m. T-shirts for all participants, finisher medals for children under 14, and cash prizes and unique homemade awards will go to top finishers. “This is the only big fundraiser that happens in Americus to benefit the 8 girls who live in the Americus cottage. All proceeds from the race stay in Americus. These generous donations allow the girls, who are all in high school this year, to have a normal teenage experience. Thanks to this community support, the girls can go on trips, buy prom dresses, learn to drive and buy clothes so that they can find a job. The girls attend the race and make the awards. This interaction with the community lets them know that their community cares about them,” according to race coordinator Rebecca Ferguson.

The race was the brainchild of Jay Williams, who was in the process of planning the first Home Run the summer before his unexpected death. The Americus Methodist Home provides residential care for girls 13-18 who are in foster care. “It’s a wonderful race, through a beautiful part of town. The course is well-measured and clear. I urge everyone to come out and support this great charity,” says runner Wright Calhoun.