Another Great Rooster Run

To the Editor:

Thanks to all that turned out on Saturday, May 21, to support the Newtown Parks and Recreation’s 37th annual Rooster Run/Walk 5K. We had over 310 fantastic finishers! It was a great way to start the summer season here in town. As a PE teacher at Reed Intermediate School, I loved seeing all of the families that came out to promote living a healthy, active lifestyle. Thanks to fellow PE teachers Laura Cooper (MG), Steve Dreger (HOM) and Jeremy O’Connell and Cheryl Lombardo from the high school for running and supporting the event. Thanks to the Newtown Parks and Recreation staff for their help on race day.

The race proceeds support the Newtown Scholarship Fund. The event could not happen without the generous support of our sponsors. Bagel Delight (Thanks Eunice!) and Dunkin Donuts (Thanks Jeff!) provided all of the bagels, Starbucks the coffee, Caraluzzi’s the muffins, Stop & Shop and Big Y all of the fruit, Crystal Rock supplied the water station and Pepsi Bottling Co. of Brookfield the Aquafina water. Special thanks to H10O Water for supplying our race, this was a great addition.

Thank you to our tremendous sponsors, please support them. They are: Toro Restaurant, Newtown Hardware, the Nowacki family, Churchill Physical Therapy, The Bee Publishing Co., Bagel Delight, Dunkin’ Donuts Newtown, Starbucks Newtown, Caraluzzi’s, Pepsi Bottling Co. Brookfield, Dr Della Schmid, Stew Leonard’s, Stop & Shop Newtown, Big Y Newtown, Berkshire Motors, Crystal Rock, and H10O Water.

Special thanks to Sherri Baggett for her help and to the Newtown Scholarship committee members that volunteered their time and talents at registration and at strategic locations on the race course. Thanks to RoseAnn Reggiano and Amy Mangold for their help.

The participants of the Females in Training (FIT) program, and the NYA and Middle Gate school teams set a great tone for the race.

Thank you to the Newtown Police Department, you did a wonderful job of keeping everyone safe. It is truly appreciated.

I am so happy to thank all of the Reed Intermediate students and parents that volunteered their time and energy on race day. They were so helpful during registration, setting up, and monitoring the food station and manning the water stop. Thanks to Ken Platt and Platt Systems for a job well done timing the race.

Please continue to support the Newtown Road Race Series and plan on participating in the Newtown Road Race on Labor Day Saturday and The Newtown Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.

I look forward to seeing you next year the Saturday prior to Memorial Day at the 38th anniversary of the great Rooster Run in 2012. I wish good health to all.

Mark Gerace

Race Director

Newtown Rooster Run 5K

23 Hall Lane, Newtown                                                   May 23, 2011