Ford City 5K Run/Walk Being Shadowed in Afghanistan This Year

by David Croyle

It’s not scheduled until Saturday, July 2nd at 9AM, but something is happening now that will affect the 2016 Ford City 5K Run/Walk.

Now in its 28th year, the race is a major fundraiser for the Armstrong River Hawks Football Boosters. It is the biggest fundraiser of the year since all proceeds from the race go to the football team.

Casey Gilbertsen, now in her fourth year as chairperson for the event, explained that the 2016 race has taken on international prominence.

“I’m very excited. This year, I was contacted by Master Sergeant Michael Dobrosky. He is in the Army Reserves. He is a Ford City native and a graduate of Ford City High School. He has run our race in the past. He is currently deployed in Afghanistan and he was very disappointed he would miss out on it this year. He’s a member of the 518th Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade. They are called ‘Raging Bulls’. They are over there in support of Operation: Freedom Sentinel. He wanted to shadow our race. I wasn’t exactly sure how that would work. So I had plenty of questions for him. We started talking about six weeks ago. His brigade would have about 500 service men that will run the 3.1 miles over in Afghanistan. They are going to do it Friday, July 1. It will be videoed, and be played during our race. The problem was that they needed 300-500 tee-shirts sent over there. That cost plenty, and we are a fundraiser trying to make money for the football team, so I contacted a few businesses in town. One was the 700 Shop in Kittanning, the Cowansville American Legion, the Ford City VFW, and CBJ Development Company in Ford City. We were able to get the money together and we sent 300 Ford City 5K Race tee-shirts to Afghanistan as of (last Thursday) morning.”

Gilbertsen said the shipping time is two to three weeks, so the shirts had to be shipped immediately to deliver to Afghanistan before July 1. The shirts had a price tag of $2,000 and the shipping was $178.

“Also, they had four flags flown over there during Memorial Day weekend. They mailed them back here - they are en route right now - We are going to have those four flags ran by runners in our race, the whole 3.1 miles. At the end, they are going to be put in their shadow boxes and given to Ford City Borough, the County of Armstrong, the State of Pennsylvania, and the Ford City VFW.”

The race drew about 400 participants last year, and is expected to be larger this year. To register, it is $15 until June 24th ($20 after June 24th). Applications can be picked up at the 700 Shop or YMCA in Kittanning. In FC at Pizzaria, Klingensmith’s Drug Store, Riverside, or at the Borough office. Register online at www.GetMeRegistered.com/FordCity5K.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.