ROTE – Kaiser Permanente First Annual Running of the Elk!!

Running and walking to define Elk Grove as a healthy community By Connie Conley, Elk Grove Community Connection Years ago, when I firs...


Running and walking to define Elk Grove as a healthy community


By Connie Conley, Elk Grove Community Connection

Years ago, when I first met Gary Davis before he was elected to the Elk Grove City Council, his vision for Elk Grove was for us to become a “Healthy Community.” There are many definitions of a healthy community; one element being a high quality of life; another being a sustainable community which most definitely includes a healthy lifestyle and a safe city; comprising public safety and the environment. But Davis’ definition is more than that and he set a course.

With the many non-profits Davis has co-founded including Playground Partners, Elk Grove Youth Sports Foundation (EGYSF) and Elk Grove Together (EGT), he has proven he is committed to not just talking the talk and walking the walk, but running the run towards redefining Elk Grove as a healthy community.

The Centers for Disease Control defines healthy communities in its Designing and Building Healthy Places page as "A community that is continuously creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential."

Now Davis is taking his love of running and turning it into a new economic driver not only for our city, but our local businesses, and its residents. On April 1st, with the First Annual Kaiser Permanente “Running of the Elk,” the entire EGYSF Board, along with Kaiser Permanente, is taking great strides to ensure the event’s success to raise scholarship dollars for our city’s youth who cannot afford to play middle and high school sports.

However, it is not only “runners” and “walkers” who are setting the THRIVE 5K pace to support ROTE. Sponsorship Chair Teresa Rodriguez is adding our community’s business partners faster than she can print up the postcards that are being mailed throughout California.

Here is just a partial list of the generous sponsors who have given so willingly to support the Kaiser Permanente First Annual Running of the Elk:

A Change of Pace Foundation
Allied Waste
American Red Cross
Bimbo Bakery
Campbell Soup
Chick-fil-A
City Of Elk Grove
Clif Bars
Coldwell Banker
DeVinci's
DPR Construction
DSA Technologies
Elegant Reflections
Elk Grove Automall
Elk Grove Citizen
Elk Grove Community Connection
Elk Grove Food Bank
Elk Grove News
Elk Grove Patch
Elk Grove Together
Elk Grove Youth Sports Foundation
Everyday Heroes Training Center
Five Star Bank
Full Throttle Music
Giant Snacks
Grocery Outlet
Jonathan Huber, Attorney at Law
Jonathan Stein, Attorney at Law
Kaia FIT Elk Grove
Kaiser Permanante
Laguna Racquetball Club
Lorraine Evans, CPA
MV Transportation
Nash Travels
NOR CAL FIT
Nuestro Queso
Outback Restaurant
Panera Bread
Pepsi Bottling Company
Radio Shack
Rebecca's Jumping Houses
Remy, Moose, Manley, LLP
River City Bank
Road 88
Rockstar
Sara Lee
Schwan's
Sierra Donor Services
Smog 'N Go
SMUD
Strikes Family Center
Sunrise Rotary
The Hilton Garden Inn
The Running Zone
The Sacramento Bee
Thomas P. Winn Foundation
Tia Rosa
Wells Fargo Bank
Vitamin Shoppe
Zico Coconut Water

If you haven’t registered to run or walk, please visit http://runningoftheelkhalf.com and view for yourself what is in store for April 1st.

Join the fun, THRIVE, and support Elk Grove!

Post a Comment Default Comments

5 comments

Anonymous said...

Just like the Food Bank charity casino event and its sequel, it's a shame that this event has become so politicized (and let's not forget taxpayer subsidized as well). Some well-meaning organizers of events have humility and humbly work behind the scenes so that in a lot of cases, very few people know who they are, and that they were involved--because the cause is greater than the ego.

It's good to be healthy, especially during an election season!

Anonymous said...

To the above poster: You gave yourself away! You forgot to mention in your bashing of Mr. Davis, "The Fittest of Grove" which is hosted by Elk Grove City Councilmember Steve Detrick.

So if you are going to bash events as being "politicized," at least be equal opportunity about it.

Those that do do; those that don't bash and in your case, not even on a level playing field. Your hateful agenda is showing.

Very sad indeed and shameful!

Or..... said...

... perhaps it could be that these elected officials have figured out how to use their titles to do good in the community by raising money for important charitable causes. One must not always be so cynical!

Anonymous said...

On Ego

Confucius said: "I am not bothered by the fact that I am unknown. I am bothered when I do not know others."

Confucius said: "I don't worry abut not having a good position; I worry about the means I use to gain position. I don't worry about being unknown; I seek to be known in the right way."

Confucius in 'Analects'

Connie said...

My goodness! Such comments! It makes you wonder what is really behind these anonymous posts.

The crux of the Op Ed is to recognize the thousands of hours of volunteer work being put into ROTE for our community; but more so to recognize all the businesses, large and small, that have graciously donated.

When so many local businesses step up like this as we still recover from the economic downturn that hit Elk Grove hard, they merit all the recognition we can give them and they are deserving of our heartfelt thanks.

These malicious comments serve no purpose whatsoever.

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