March 2, 2008 — "Ladies! Get set, run!" It's time again for perennially popular Women's Jogger Jam. The 26th annual two-mile run starts at 5 p.m. March 9 at the Fruit Bowl in Wheatley Center.
Organizer Therese Hodge says this year she is hoping for 400 females to participate. Last year's 350 was a record which she wants to break. All girls, women, toddlers, even infants in strollers are invited to run, leap, jump, jog, walk, or, if need be, crawl to the finish line. Hodge has organized the race for the past nine or so years.
Hodge is a stalwart member of the St. Thomas Association of Roadrunners (STAR), which also receives a small portion of the proceeds. The event was started in 1981 by LaVerne Ragster, now University of the Virgin Islands president, and for the first two years it had no sponsor.
Fruit Bowl owners Marty and Carol Goldberg stepped in, and began sponsoring it in its third year, which they have continued to do so ever since. Their son, David, runs the show now, but the Goldbergs never miss it. In addition to the registration fees, the Goldbergs contribute an additional $5 for each runner that finishes, plus T-shirts and refreshments.
The run benefits the Family Resource Center, which maintains programs for victims of crime and individuals involved in family violence or crisis. It also serves as a safe haven for women and children who are the victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault. Last year the run raised $3,187 for the center, David Goldberg says. Seventy percent of the money raised goes to the center, and 30 percent to STAR.
The race actually begins at the entrance to the Schneider Regional Medical Center and proceeds up the hill and around the corner past Lockhart Elementary School and back to the entrance. Twice. Each lap is a mile.
Entrants are given some sort of symbol to prove they've run the first lap, a swizzle stick or whatever, to clutch. Sometimes, the swizzle stick is all a runner comes home with, except for the exhilaration and fun of the race. And sometimes, a trophy is added to that swizzle stick.
Prizes are awarded in several categories including top three finishers in seven age brackets ranging from ages 7 to 12 through 70 years and over. A team challenge trophy goes to the group or organization with the most participants, and the first 200 registered finishers get T-shirts.
When the parched participants round the bend and pour into the final stretch to the cheers and applause from friends and well wishers, they also get a welcome array of fresh fruit and water supplied by the Fruit Bowl. Sometimes there's extra treats like ice cream.
By this time, the runners' endorphins are pumping, as they greet one another with damp hugs and smiles. It's everybody's favorite part of the whole afternoon.
Some participants, like Debbie Davis, have been in every contest since the inception. "This race has always been a big deal," Davis says. "I love it."
The race has had some unusual incidents in the past. Occasionally, a dog on a leash will run along, or maybe twins in a stroller. There's usually at least one wheelchair entrant. On one occasion a young man in drag lined up with the women, but the race organizers took a dim view of the prank and he was sidelined, slinking off in his pinafore.
Registration is $3 for youth 18 and under, $6 for adults and $5 for STAR members. Participants can pre-register at The Fruit Bowl, The Caribbean Surf Company at Havensight Mall, Royal Dane Mall, Red Hook Shopping Center and at the Jackson Complex Wellness Center at Antilles.
Early registration ends on March 8. Entry fee on March 9 is $10 for all categories. For more information, call 775-6373.
Back Talk
Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name and city and state/country or island where you reside.
