Meals on Wheels Fitness event scheduled for Sunday, will fundraise for several organizations

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The second annual Meals on Wheels Fitness event will give participants an opportunity to compete in running, bike-riding, canoeing and kayaking activities on Sunday.

The 5K run and walk begins at 10 a.m. at Island Park’s west pavillion, 331 N. Main St.

The event was created by David McGuire, a former city commissioner.

“I used to ride the DALMAC bicycle tour,” McGuire said. “At the same time, I was reading in the paper that the Commission on Aging was facing some serious budget cuts. So I decided to put together a fundraiser.”

The first time McGuire put on the event was in August 2010. Last year the event raised about $22,000.

“I personally will be running 20 miles and riding 25 miles,” McGuire said.

The first event of the day will be a triathlon scheduled to begin and end at Island Park. Participants will bike a 25-mile route ending at Deerfield County Park. They will then either kayak or canoe and finally race their way back to Chipp-A-Waters Park, 1403 W. High St.

Other individual events include a two-hour and four-hour kayak ride, two-hour and four-hour canoe rides and a 10-mile and 25-mile bike ride and a team triathlon.

“The person who brings in the most cash will win a bike from Motorless Motion that was donated to us,” said Brenda Upton, executive director of Isabella County Commission on Aging. “We’re also going to have a kayak that we’re going to sell raffle tickets for.”

The registration fee is $100 for participants.

At the end of the day there will be a picnic dinner that will cost $8 for those who did not participate in the event.

“I along with other staff members from the Commission on Aging and volunteers are going to be doing a lot of the organizational stuff,” Upton said. “Just making sure people are in the right places at the right time.”

The first $20,000 raised will be donated to the Commission on Aging Home Delivered Meals Program. Funds over $20,000 will be split evenly between the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, Goodrow Fund and Community Compassion Network, and the Commission on Aging.

“I was thrilled with the outcome last year,” McGuire said. “We certainly hope to do better this year. Hopefully we can surpass last year’s amount.”