HEROs is back with our annual Torch Relay event! Traditionally, Torch Relay is an event where HEROs members walk from Atlanta to Athens in honor of our kids. But this year, it looked a little different.
This was our first ever Torch Relay Virtual 5K. HEROs decided to change Torch Relay to a 5K in order to make it safer and bring in more of the Athens community. Participants registered for the event and were encouraged to run or walk their 5K in a socially distant way.
On October 18th, there was an Opening Ceremony Event held on North Campus, where participants were able to pick up a goodie bag with a drink, snacks and a runner’s guide. Runners could choose to run or walk the 5K any time between October 18th and 19th.
Torch is always one of our biggest events of the year, so changing the format of it brought some challenges: "The hardest part of planning Torch this year was making sure the HEROs community was still being brought together, even though we couldn't all be together in person," said special events chair Kristen Nicholson.
But many of our members decided to complete their 5K with a friend so we were still able to build community during the run or by connecting through social media content. Other members got creative with the run. Our audit chair, Jack Cenatempo, decided to run an additional mile for every $25 he raised. He raised $125, so he ran a whopping 8.1 miles!
Although current events have made normal operations difficult, HEROs has been able to push past barriers and obstacles in order to serve our kids. Keep an eye out for our November events!