By Anne Ruisi
Homewood is a running community, so organizers of the annual First Responders 5K have high expectations for this year’s event, set for Oct. 19.
“This is our major fundraiser for the police and fire departments, and we hope to have another great crowd,” said Paul DeMarcco, president of the Homewood Police Foundation, which is organizing the event with the Homewood Fire Foundation.
The event will feature a 5K race and a 1-mile Fun Run. Both races will begin and end at the Trak Shak in downtown Homewood and follow a route through the area. It promises to be a family-friendly morning, with police officers and their vehicles, firefighters with fire trucks, and McGruff the Crime Dog on hand.
Funds raised will be shared by both foundations, which offer citizen support to the police and fire departments.
For example, since its founding in 2005, the police foundation has donated equipment to various divisions in the department, such as to school resource officers, and done what it could to support morale and connect officers with residents, DeMarco said.
That includes supporting the Citizens Academy, which educates residents on police officer duties and how the department functions. Once a month, the foundation enlists local businesses and brings lunch to one of the police department’s divisions. At Christmas, every department employee gets a gift card from Piggly Wiggly. When a police department employee retires, the foundation will give him or her a gift.
“We want to make sure that our police officers know that the citizens support the officers, day in and day out, and appreciate what they do,” DeMarco said.
The 5K race is “another way for them to get out and support the first responders, while at the same time taking part in a great race, a great family event in downtown Homewood,” he added.
For more information and to sign up for the First Responders 5K, visit runsignup.com and search for The Homewood First Responders 5K.
