Event will aid Caroline schools
By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@lcs.net
Raising money for an array of good causes, the Wright's Chapel-Lake Caroline Charity 5k/10k Run Walk is set for Saturday morning, May 22, with a 9 a.m. start at Lake Caroline Lodge. The race, which coincides with Ladysmith Day, will loop through Lake Caroline.
"Runners should register now," said organizer Craig Kolhagan, a Marine chief warrant officer with four tours in Iraq. He is a resident of Lake Caroline and attends Wright's Chapel United Methodist Church. Rev. Charles Tillapaugh, pastor at Wright's Chapel, also encourages walkers to participate. He invites sponsors to back both runners and walkers to raise proceeds for charity.
Eighty percent of the proceeds goes to buy equipment and supplies for Caroline schools, presently hard-hit by budget cuts. Ten percent goes to Hope for Warriors and the remaining 10 percent goes to the McCutcheon Squadron. Hope for Warriors, staffed primarily by war widows, helps disabled veterans. The Marine Corps Aviation Association McCutcheon Squadron is building a bell tower memorial in Jacksonville, North Carolina to commemorate fallen aviators.
Craig, active in Marine aviation, said many of his friends serving in Iraq and Afghanistan had been killed. By participating in the May 22 event, runners, walkers and sponsors will both aid and honor the nation's veterans, and help Caroline schools.
Register online at www.Wrightschapel.org or pick up a registration form at Wrights Chapel or the Lake Caroline Office before May 10. Race Day registration is available starting at 7 a.m. A t-shirt cannot be guaranteed after May 10.