More than 30 Virgin Gorda runners and walkers didn’t compete for time on Saturday, instead they participated for the health of it during the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College’s Race for a Cause.
HLSCC Vice President Dr. Anne Monroe cheered as runners and walkers crossed the finish line near the college’s VG campus. She was happy with the turnout as she filled in for race director Stephanie Russ Penn.
“I am normally out running, but today I am out for a cause and I am out to work and support to cheer people on,” Dr. Monroe said. “This is a fun run; we want everyone to come out. We are just looking for participation. We happy to see so many folks of all ages turnout.”
This year’s cause is diabetes.
Race organisers teamed up with the Virgin Gorda Diabetes Association and the Valley Sound Lions Club to provide blood sugar and blood pressure testing, as well as a number of educational activities aimed at increasing awareness about diabetes, and how it can be prevented and treated.
Last year’s cause was cancer.
Vanessa Rymer executive assistant at the HLSCC Virgin Gorda centre was diagnosed with diabetes about a year and half ago. She said she knows the importance of the screenings and proper nutrition.
“With our lifestyles in the Virgin Islands, we aren’t mindful that the things we eat affects our health,” Ms. Rymer said. “We need to pay attention to those things and that is why the college has gone a little further to bring awareness to the community.”
Participants were asked to bring a donation for the VG Diabetes Association, which will be used to buy equipment or help someone with the disease.
“The race is a good outlet,” Ms. Rymer said. “We have a good mixture of young, middle-age and older participants. We get a good cross section of the community.”
The two-mile course started at the VG college campus and proceeded through Spanish Town to the Virgin Gorda Recreation Grounds and back to the finish. Although runners’ times were not recorded, several participants still took the race seriously. The first finisher was Emrol Amsterdam who sprinted the last 100 yards of the race.
“It is still competitive,” Dr. Monroe said. “You can’t take the natural competitor out of some of our top runners. They come out for fun, but they are still looking for a good performance for themselves.”
The vice president plans to be back running on Nov. 12, when Tortola will host its Race for a Cause at the Paraquita Bay campus. The event will be in collaboration with the BVI Diabetes Association.
For more information about the Race for a Cause, including how to make a financial or other contribution, contact Ms. Russ Penn at 852-7216.