Minigrant Spotlight
Hello from Central WV,
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My name is Laura Anderson and last year I joined the Try This team as an AmeriCorps. After completing my year of service I accepted the position of Try This WV Organizer. Part of my job is to visit the 2021-2022 minigrant projects and the Lewis County Triple Crown 5K was my first stop.
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This project is led by Victoria Stansberry and will include three 5K events in Lewis County. The first, a costume run in partnership with Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The second race will be the traditional road race (with a twist of course) in the community of Ireland in spring of 2022. The third will be a summer trail race on a trail that is currently under volunteer construction. The 5K on the new trail will highlight the growth of trail activities in Lewis County.
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This project is a great example of organizations collaborating to help the overall goal of improving the health and wellness of West Virginians. “We are so excited to offer this 5K series in Lewis County and are hopeful that it will draw participants from the surrounding areas. This is the exact kind of project that makes Blueprint Communities and Try This WV so impactful because it enables us to work with organizations and individuals in the community to build something that is fun and creative while promoting healthy lifestyles. By offering three different race options there really is something for everyone,” said Victoria Stansberry, Lewis County Blueprint Community coordinator.
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The first of three 5K events kicked off on Saturday October 9th at 9:00am and it definitely felt like fall in WV. We were excited to get an invite to this event and hand out awards after the race. I happen to live right in downtown Weston so Molly, my 8 year old daughter, changed into WonderWoman and we walked a few blocks so we could cheer on the runners at the finish line. This race featured 42 runners, many got into the costume theme, running/walking on the course laid out in downtown Weston. With a time of 17:55.9 local Lewis County High School Junior, Slate Swiger was the top finisher in this race.
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See you at the next race!!
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