More than 150 runners were cleared for takeoff at the Vero Beach Regional Airport last Wednesday evening during an inaugural After 5K IRC Chamber Corporate Run, hosted by the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and presented by Piper Aircraft.
“The chamber is a great organization, and it does a lot of good things in this community,” said Simon Caldecott, Piper president and CEO. “The leadership program is a big benefit personally as well as to this community.”
Air horn in hand before officially starting the race, Caldecott spoke from experience as he noted that businesses benefit from the program, in that it helps to develop employees’ leadership skills.
Advertised as the “best outdoor office party on the Treasure Coast,” chamber members ran independently and as teams from various local businesses. Volunteer aircraft marshallers used neon glow sticks to direct the runners down the runway, which served as the 5K racecourse.
“This is a really unique 5K in the sense that it’s the first time in the history of Vero Beach Airport that there has been a sanctioned race to run on the runway,” said Phillip Keeling, race director.
“It’s giving runners an opportunity to do something they would normally never get to do. It’s incredible that everyone came together to close the runway for an hour for this event to raise money.”
Brisk winter temperatures helped the runners rev their internal engines. In the end, Jake Kramer took first place overall with a time of 17:32 and Stephanie Zugrave was the first-place female runner to cross the finish line, with a time of 21:34.
Race proceeds benefit the IRC Chamber and the Alma Lee Loy Leadership Scholarship fund.
“Alma Lee knew the Leadership Indian River program is a great way to allow adults throughout our community to learn more about the county and to promote leadership activities,” explained Dori Stone, IRCCC president.
“The late Loy funded the grant since the program’s inception. In her honor we want to continue to fund the grant. She was one of the most effective and dedicated leaders in the community and a true patron of the Chamber of Commerce.”
Leadership Indian River is a seven-session training program focused on the local community, studying its “infrastructure, natural resources and current political issues of Indian River County and an understanding of what constitutes leadership.”
For more information, visit indianriverchamber.com.
Photos by: Brenda Ahearn Kaila Jones
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