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The Battleford Operun will be held Oct. 6. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)
Charity run

Organizers gearing up for annual Operun

Sep 20, 2019 | 11:54 AM

The Historic Battlefords Lions Club is once again gearing up to host its fifth annual Operun on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Those with a competitive spirit and others who are in it just for the fun will participate in 5 km, 10 km or half-marathon courses at the Battleford event. There is also a 2 km Young at Heart course for youngsters and for individuals 60 years of age and older. Those with the best running time will earn trophies.

“I’m very excited. We have a lot of kids already interested in running, and people are registering,” organizing committee member Suzanne Reid said. “It’s going to be a beautiful day I’m sure, with no snow.”

Along the route, a number of musical groups will perform to help spur on the runners. The course travels past several historic buildings and through the scenic river valley.

This year funds raised from the charity event will support work to pave the town’s walking trail system. The area of focus is from the Fort Battleford historic site to the Battleford Flats Park area.

New this year the Town of Battleford will be present at the event to seek input from the community on what they would like to see for the future related to the proposal to restore the town’s former opera house located in the town hall building.

A table will be set up to gather feedback in the outreach effort.

“They do want to see what our community wants to do with the opera house,” Reid said. “So they will be there just canvasing public opinion. The canvasing will take place over several months in the near future.”

The opera house restoration project was postponed due to the high estimated cost of the initiative.

“The initial plan for the opera house was very expensive. So they have decided to get some more input from the community as to exactly what [residents] want done with the opera house,” Reid said, adding that people may also want to see a different use for the space.

The design for the Operun T-shirts that each participant receives will feature artwork by Battleford artist Evelyn Gardiner this year.

Operun 2019 T-shirt design by Evelyn Gardiner. (Submitted photo/Suzanne Reid)

Reid encourages people to register online in advance.

She hopes to see more groups also sponsor a school classroom to participate in the run.

“It’s very exciting to see their faces as they cross the finish line. It’s great that we have community businesses sponsoring those classes and promoting the health of our youth,” Reid said.

The Operun takes place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., starting from outside the town hall building.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

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