Last year, the 368 residents of Lohrville took home the $10,000 prize for their winning participation in the Grand Blue Mile Set the Pace Challenge in Des Moines. The annual competition rewards the Iowa community that has the highest percentage of residents take part in the Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield-sponsored run that hosts more than 30,000 participants from 31 states, six countries and four continents. The celebration of wellness gives something back for continuing initiatives within the communities. Lohrville City Clerk, Kris Kavanaugh, says they used the $10,000 on their community’s trail system.
The dual meaning of the included heart shines through. Kavanaugh says it not only demonstrates the heart-healthy activities done on their trail, but it also is a tribute to two people who have been instrumental in their community, Tami Mohr and Vern Kinney.
Organizers of the event say in a video released this week that this was the first time they had a community bring a charter bus to the race. Kavanaugh says they had between 40 and 50 people on the bus and 10 to 15 more that met them in Des Moines. This year’s race is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, and Kavanaugh says they already have quite a few people signed up, but they are ready to welcome many more, especially in light of a friendly challenge made last spring.
Kavanaugh says they have other projects they could use another $10,000 on, and they are also considering an extension of the trail to University 40, a park just a mile south of Lohrville. Anyone who has the 51453 zip code is eligible to participate, and can register through the link included with this story on our website. The video produced from last year’s competition can also be found there.
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http://www.grandbluemile.com/register/
