MCMC fundraiser 5k walk/run held at Village Green

The runners come off the mark at the MCMC 5k Walk / Run which began at Village Green Shopping Center Saturday, June 20.
The runners come off the mark at the MCMC 5k Walk / Run which began at Village Green Shopping Center Saturday, June 20.

The Moniteau Christian Ministries Center (MCMC) 5k walk/run fundraiser was held Saturday, June 20.

The excited participants stretched and warmed up before the beginning of the actual event at Village Green Shopping Center. The event raised funds to help put a hard surface, either concrete or asphalt, on the loading dock of the Moniteau Christian Ministries Center (MCMC) on Latham Road. The work is known as Phase III of the work to get the MCMC facility completed.

HomeLand Realty partnered with MCMC for this event to bring the community together to complete the facility.

Registration began at 7:30 a.m. and the race begin at 8 a.m., with the runners followed by the walkers.

Among the runners, Lizzy Kirby was first in, with Adam Burkett one-tenth of a second later.

Among the walkers, J.D. Gattermeir took first, both in the race and in his age group. Mary Burger and Roberta Pate were second and third past the finish line for walkers.

Asked why she runs, Kirby said, "I like it." She grew up around it, running with her dad, Joe Kirby and still enjoys it. She also is a cross-country runner.

Gattermeir enjoys walking, and does it every day.

This was the third year for the MCMC fundraiser event. The 2013 5k walk/run was held in Tipton. The 2014 and 2015 events, in California, followed the same route as the annual Ozark Ham and Turkey Festival 5k walk/run.