MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — The event started in 2007 and was called The Downtown Rocks And Run. They ran a perimeter of a 5k and 10k of downtown Mount Airy and there used to be a rock concert at the end. But this year they are shaking things up!
"Over the years there's a lot of music that happens in downtown Mount Airy now., 17 years later." said Melissa Hiatt on the United Fund of Surry, "So we've had to get creative with the rocks part of the title. Throughout the years, we've added some music along the pathway, which is a little difficult to do. So we decided this year to take a spin on Ernest T Bass and throw some rocks with some children!"
But how does that work?
"There's a 50-yard dash after the 5k and 10k that the kids can run and it's down South Main Street. What we will do is have them run down the street, have window panes without glass in them and rubber rocks from Vulcan Inc. for them to throw a rock through the window", continued Hiatt, "When they get the rock through the window, they'll turn around and run by just to add a little fun for the kids to see something that you're not supposed to do normally."
The event has been successful in the past but expectations are high this year.
"Over the past 17 years, the average is about $30 ,000 that we've raised for United Fund Agencies." said Hiatt, "We support 25 member nonprofit agencies that provide human services in Surry County to our citizens. So this is one of our fourth fundraisers of the year that those dollars go to support."
The event is Saturday, August 10, 2024. Races registration and check-in start as early as 6:30 am. Go online to register on their website.