Staff writer
A community event with a different twist will take place beginning at 10 a.m. May 3 at the Peabody-Burns school track on Pine St.
The event is a community track meet, and track coach Brian Lightner came up with the idea as a way to promote healthy activities and community sports.
Competition will be age appropriate and includes students pre-kindergarten through third grade, fourth and fifth grade, and four adult divisions grouped by 10-year age spans. Kansas High School Activities Association rules prohibit students in middle school and high school from competing in such events. Students participating in track will serve as volunteers the day of the meet.
Short distance running, a Frisbee toss, some jumps, and a tennis ball toss make up the events for the youngest group. The fourth and fifth grade students will participate in similar events with a higher degree of difficulty.
Adult events include hurdles, high jump, a 5k fun run, several 200-, 400-, and 800-meter runs, a joggers’ mile, team relays, and field events such as shot put and discus.
Adult participants will be charged a $1 entry fee for each event and that money will be donated to the HUB to support their youth programs. There is no registration fee for children to compete.
Lightner has scheduled two nights of practice and all equipment will be provided. Practice will begin at 6 p.m. on April 28 and April 30 at the track facility.
Registration forms are available in downtown businesses, in the April edition of the school district newsletter, or by going online at lightnermath.weebly.com (under the Warrior Track and Field heading). Completed forms may be dropped off at the high school, faxed to the high school at (620) 983-2773, or delivered to the registration table the day of the event.
For more information, contact Lightner at the high school at (620) 983-2196 or by e-mail at blightner@usd398.com.