On Saturday, April 22, 2023, the starting gun went off at 9am for the first annual Hopewell Valley Bunny Hop 5K Run/Walk. Two hundred fifty seven participants registered for the race and with your help, we crossed the finish line!
There are so many people to thank, including everyone who showed up to volunteer and/or complete the course. Al Siuta, our race director and former HVCHS parent, was endlessly patient and generous with his knowledge from beginning to end! The Superintendent of Washington Crossing State Park, Leigh Germann, walked us through the permitting process and made sure the course was measured by Jack Werbler in time for the race. Annette Earling, Executive Director of the Washington Crossing State Park Association, helped us navigate a few hiccups during the planning process.
Lisa Orem made us look good with her polished, professional Bunny Hop graphics on flyers, signs, social media posts and t-shirts. Andrea Masciale Rise put the shirts on our backs with a little help from Aztec. Carrie Bernstein and Jocelyn Vlasac made sure the volunteers knew where to be and what to do on race day. Mike Schwartz captured many great photographs which can be viewed HERE.
A huge thank you to Cindy Glover (now in her 45th year of teaching!) whose excitement and appreciation could be felt over the mic as she cheered us on and sang praises about our amazing sponsors throughout the event. Our sponsors support our community on a daily basis, and we are so fortunate that they chose to support this event. Please see the graphic below for a complete list. If you see any of these folks around town, please mention that you noticed their involvement in the HV Bunny Hop 5K. If you need any of the goods or services offered by these businesses, please consider supporting them. Our sponsors are the reason the event was a success.
The event appealed to all sorts of residents; we had people ages 8 – 80 on the course! HVRSD Superintendent Dr. Rosetta Treece can officially be called our “Energizer Bunny!” as she circled around many times to offer encouragement and usher participants across the finish line. Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank CHS Principal Patricia Riley for awarding our finishers, and at least congratulate our top HVRSD staff winners, Anson Smith and Jenna Fasulo. A full list of race results can be viewed HERE.
It takes a village to host a 5K and our village is AWESOME! Much laughter and learning took place while the event was in the planning stages and the outpouring of interest and support kept us hopping throughout this process. The HVCHS PTO plans to annualize this event, so keep your eyes peeled for information about the second annual Hopewell Valley Bunny Hop 5K Run/Walk in 2024!
