Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Sarah-Ashley Solie, who co-chairs the health and wellness committee at Stonewall Elementary, and daughter Elizabeth ran together in last year's Thoroughbred Classic 5K. (Photo: Provided by Ms. Solie)

This weekend’s 16^th District PTA 5K Run/Walk, which is part of Lexington’s 2^nd Sunday activities, encourages families to get up and get moving together.

“It seems like a natural fit,” district president Liza Holland said of hosting a communitywide 5K. “It’s kicking off an ongoing healthy lifestyles program the PTAs will work on in the schools.”

The 16^th District PTA wants its chapters in Fayette County Public Schools to take the lead by creating health and wellness committees to develop ideas that engage students. The inaugural 5K, which will be at Coldstream Park, will provide some funds for the new initiatives. With sponsors covering the race expenses, the entry fees will go back into the schools. In addition, the school with the most students participating in 2^nd Sunday events, including the PTA 5K and other activities downtown, will receive a $1,000 bonus. 

“We’ve already got over 500 registrations, and they’re still coming in,” Holland said. “As you look at who has signed up, there’s a lot of entire families, a lot of young kids. A good portion of the people plan on doing the Fun Walk – it’s not just runners. It’s really a nice way to kick off doing little things to make a difference.”

Sarah-Ashley Solie, who co-chairs the health and wellness committee at Stonewall Elementary, likes that Sunday’s 5K is a kid-friendly event, too. The non-competitive aspect opens to the door for a lot more participants.

“Once people realized they don’t have to get out and run, some of the parents felt more comfortable – especially those who haven’t participated in a 5K before,” she said.

A registered dietitian, Solie strives to set a strong example within her own family. Elizabeth, a third-grader at Stonewall, is following in her mom’s footsteps through Girls on the Run, and they ran together in last Thanksgiving’s Thoroughbred Classic 5K. 

“Parents are kids’ greatest role model. The 5K is something parents and kids can do together,” Solie said. “It’s important to be active as a family. Especially at the elementary school level, if a parent is eating fruits and vegetables and is active, a child is more likely to incorporate these behaviors.”

Holland agreed.

“It’s really looking at getting families engaged in helping the health and well-being of kids so they’re ready to learn,” she said. “There’s a lot of research that shows kids who eat healthy and are more active are more academically successful.”

PTA 5K

1 p.m. Sunday Oct. 9 at the Coldstream Park

• How it works for a PTA
• Event brochure
• Online registration (closes at midnight Friday; Sunday sign-ups welcome)
• Volunteer sign-ups
• Entries received
• Race entry statistics