For runners looking for a chance to break out their reindeer antlers, jingle bells and ugly sweaters, the Santa Shuffle 5K and Mile Dash on Sunday, Dec. 15, is a great opportunity. Not only that, but participants will support local scholarships while dashing through beautiful scenery.
The inaugural race will start at 8 a.m. at Morning Pointe at Happy Valley Assisted Living and Memory Care, located at 2989 Happy Valley Road in Rossville. The senior community is organizing the event as a fundraiser for the Morning Pointe Foundation, a non-profit that provides caregiver support programs, sponsors educational awareness events and funds nursing and other scholarships in the Southeast. Area partner schools include Dalton State College, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and Chattanooga State Community College.
The race route will stop along historic Happy Valley Farms and Ridgeland High School. Participants are encouraged to dress up in Christmas-themed attire for the run. The 5K is $30 per person. Medals will be awarded to first, second and third place for male and female 5k runners.
For those who want to take part in a shorter run, the event also includes a One-Mile Dash for $15.
Participants can register at register.chronotrack.com/r/83617. The first 75 people to sign up will receive exclusive swag materials, and hot cocoa and cider will be available on site.
“Themed races can be so much fun, and what better time to do one than the holidays when we’re all gearing up for Christmas?” said Kristen Weiz, community relations director at Morning Pointe at Happy Valley. “And what better way to celebrate the season of giving than to help deserving students in our area be able to afford to pursue their education?”
The evening before, Morning Pointe at Happy Valley is offering a Chef-Prepared Pasta Dinner for $20. Diners do not need to participate in the run to purchase a meal.
All proceeds will go to the Morning Pointe Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit public service organization and the philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living. The Foundation was created in 2014 by senior healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow.
Sponsorships for the event are also available. For more information, please contact Weiz at 762-219-7358.
Morning Pointe at Happy Valley opened in 2023. The community provides assisted living and memory care services with nursing, clinical and care staff available 24 hours a day; a full life enrichment program; on-site therapy services; and specialized memory care programs such as the Best Friends™ Approach and Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care. The community’s dedication to personalized, meaningful care makes it a leader in senior living in Georgia.
Morning Pointe Senior Living operates 40 communities across five southeastern states, including two in Georgia: Morning Pointe at Happy Valley and Morning Pointe of Calhoun. To learn more about Morning Pointe and the services offered, visit MorningPointe.com. For more information about the Morning Pointe Foundation, visit MorningPointeFoundation.com.
