Final preparations made for Integrity Worldwide race

Published 9:48 pm Thursday, September 21, 2017

With only a day to go, Integrity Worldwide is making the final preparations for the annual Run for Kenya race Saturday.

The race is a way for the organization to raise money for projects in Meto, Kenya, and this year they are working to finish a medical clinic.

“Today, we have been folding T-shirts, packing bags, getting the medals ready and tagging them and just getting organized,” said Elizabeth Gilmer, race coordinator. “We are so excited. We look forward to [the race] all year, so I think we’re all looking forward to it.”

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Around 200 people have signed up for the race, but Gilmer said she expects it to be around 300 Saturday morning. So far this year, approximately $87,000 has been raised.

“We have exceeded where we were at this point last year and that will continue to grow over the next week, but we are excited to really get to finish out the medical clinic in Meto,” Gilmer said. “This will allow us to do the last bit of construction and begin to hire medical staff and finish out the last little things of the facility.”

Back again this year are the race’s unique medals. All of the medals were handmade in Meto by the local ladies.

On each medal is a tag attached telling about the medal and has a picture of one of the ladies that made some of them.

“As they made the medals, which took weeks to do, they prayed for the person that’s going to receive them. It’s a part of Meto, and they did it for Selma, for the person that’s going to receive them,” Gilmer said. “It’s such a neat thing for us to get to bring back here for the people of Selma because their heart is really in these and we get to pass them on to the winners.”

For those that have already registered, they can stop by Revival Coffee on Church Street today to pick up their race packet and shirt between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Those still wanting to register can also go by there, or register Saturday morning between 7:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. for $30. The race will begin at 9 a.m. Integrity recommends participants park at the Dallas County Courthouse or Regions Bank. The 5K and 10K will be timed races. The 1-mile race will not be timed.

According to The Weather Channel, it will be partly cloudy Saturday with a high of 89 and a low of 67 with a 20 percent chance of rain.