The New Horizons 10th Annual Race for Recovery 5K Run/Walk on Sept. 26 was memorable for a number of reasons, among them: masks, social distancing and other precautionary measures due to covid.
Despite all that, about 110 runners and walkers came out to Indian River State College Pruitt Campus before the crack of dawn to celebrate mental health, get some exercise and connect with the community.
Presented by Healthcite Pharmacy, this year’s event was different… but still a lot of fun. A crew of dedicated volunteers — New Horizons staff and an amazing group of students from Fort Pierce Central High School – cheered on the participants and distributed iced towels and nourishment as participants crossed the finish line.
Deejay Dominic Pizzimenti, a 9th grader, kept the tempo upbeat throughout the morning with old school rock and roll.
The Race for Recovery takes place in September every year in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month. Considering the recent upheaval in our daily routines, and the hardships so many are facing with loss of income and health issues, New Horizons decided to forge ahead with the race because the community needed it.
“We cancelled 55 races on the Treasure Coast this year,” said John Kemler of MCM Timing, who helped organize the race. “People are eager to return to a sense of normalcy in their daily lives.”
This year’s Female Open Winner was Sara Aube, a 22-year-old college student, with a time of 20:02.4. Richard Lavery, 31, was the Male Open Winner with a time of 22:35.8. The Female Masters Winner was Jeannette Hill, 47, with a time of 25:37.1. The Male Masters Winner was Dale Ruby, 58, who finished in 22:35.8.
New Horizons is a nonprofit mental health and addiction recovery provider, with inpatient and outpatient offices serving 15,000 children and adults across Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties. Almost 60% of New Horizons clients have no source of income or any insurance, yet no one is turned away due to lack of financial resources.
To learn more about New Horizons, please visit www.nhtcinc.org or call (772)672-8333.
