Not-for-profit organizations and community groups whose programming is designed to promote healthy and active lifestyles for Oakland County residents have until July 15 to apply for a Brooksie Way Minigrant.
The program has helped support 124 projects throughout the county that range from a martial arts club for young people with cancer, a community garden and adult yoga classes to summer basketball camps and swimming lessons for kids. Since it began in 2010, about $160,000 in Brooksie Way minigrants has been distributed. The maximum award is $2,000.
"This is one of the true legacies of The HAP Brooksie Way and our family of races," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. "These minigrants have touched thousands of lives in our county, helping support the health and fitness programming so vital to our residents. I encourage these community and non-profit organizations to apply for a minigrant."
Recent minigrant awards supported a floor hockey program for children sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit; a bike maintenance station as part of the Clinton River trail, sponsored by Lake Norcentra Park at Rochester College; and a horseback riding program for special needs children, sponsored by Variety the Children's Charity.
Patterson started the minigrant program as a way to put proceeds from the HAP Brooksie Way Half Marathon back into the community. The Brooksie Way races, which include 10k, 5k and several children's races, were named in honor of Brooks Stuart Patterson, a young father and the son of the county executive who died after a snowmobiling accident in 2007.
The ninth running of the HAP Brooksie Way Half Marathon is set for Sept. 25. The race has become one of the most popular regional fall half marathons. The 2015 race attracted more than 5,400 runners and walkers. The course begins and ends at the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre (formerly known as the Meadow Brook Music Festival) on the campus of Oakland University and includes parts of the Clinton River and Paint Creek trails, Rochester Hills and downtown Rochester.
All participants will have access to free race photographs by Greg Sadler Photography. Runners and walkers who register for the half marathon before July 1 will save $20 on their application fees. There are significant savings on entry fees for other races for those who register early at www.TheBrooksieWay.com.
Those who register by June 30 are eligible to win a family pack of five Brooksie Way vouchers, which gives them free entry into the 2017 HAP Brooksie Way Half Marathon, race director Deb Kiertzner-Flynn said.
Runners and walkers who participated in the half marathon the past two years will note the course returns to Tienken Road, which had been unavailable because of ongoing construction. The course had used a particularly challenging section of Dutton Road.
For the second year, the race contains a charity fundraising component, sponsored by Genisys Credit Union. Participants can register in advance to raise money for any of the following charities: Brooksie Way Minigrants; Glenda's Club; Hope Water Project; Leader Dogs for the Blind; March of Dimes; Michigan Special Olympics; OLSHA (Oakland-Livingston Human Service Agency); Michigan Special Olympics; and YMCA Girls on the Run. Those who register for a charity will receive $10 off their race registration fee.
Participants can also register online at www.TheBrooksieWay.com for the popular Team Challenge which sold out last year and celebrate after the race in the exclusive Team Challenge tent is Fifth Third Bank. Post race party sponsor is The Oakland Press.
The popular Lil' Brooksie Kid's Race sponsored by Fifth Third Bank is set for Sept. 24, the day before the bigger races. Kroger, the official half marathon sponsor, offers race applications in all Michigan stores. The 5k race is sponsored by First Merit Bank and Genisys Credit Union is the sponsor of the charity program.
Published: Tue, Jun 28, 2016
