There are two runs coming up benefitting organizations in the area. The Lakewood Service League’s Walk, Wag & Run is set for October 23rd benefitting the YMCA, For The Love of the Lake and Friends of White Rock Lake Dog Park.  Also, The JL Long Fun Run will take place on Oct 7th benefitting the JL Long PTA.

ABOUT THE WALK, WAG & RUN

The seventh annual Walk, Wag & Run event, presented by Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake, Advocate Magazines, and Innova, will offer fun and fitness for runners, families and their dogs on Oct. 23 at Doctors Hospital on Poppy Drive near White Rock Lake. Hosted by the Lakewood Service League, this community festival includes 5K and 10K races, a dog agility walk, a 1K dash for the kids, pet adoptions and plenty of Halloween and canine-friendly entertainment. What began as a neighborhood dog walk has grown into a popular, family-oriented event that is expected to draw 1,500 plus people from across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Whether folks come to run a personal best 10K or are aiming to win the dog-owner lookalike costume contest, Walk, Wag & Run includes a wide range of activities for both twoand four-legged participants. The festivities will run from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2010. Participants can register for any of the events at walkwagandrun.org. All proceeds will go to the YMCA at White Rock, For the Love of the Lake, and Friends of White Rock Lake Dog Park. Walk, Wag & Run will kick off at 8 a.m. with the 5K and 10K races. ChronoTrack timing by Run On! will be provided, and the top three finishers in each age group will receive medals. All runners will receive  technical shirts.

The dog walk is up next at 9 a.m. Pet owners are welcome to come in costume, and Fido can dress up, too. A seven-station agility course will challenge the dogs and keep their owners entertained. Organizations will provide pet adoptions as well. The younger set will find plenty to do at the kids’ fair. A 1K race will start at 10 a.m. And the Howl-O-Ween kids’ area will offer hours of entertainment. With bounce houses, costume contests, trick-or-treating, a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo and face painting, the fair is jam-packed with fun activities.  Meanwhile, Mom and Dad can enjoy the food and live entertainment.

Three organizations that do important work in the community will receive the proceeds from this year’s Walk, Wag & Run. The YMCA at White Rock has earmarked these funds for its scholarship program, which provides childcare, summer camps, youth sports programs and general membership to deserving families. For the Love of the Lake is a dedicated group of volunteers that has worked to preserve and enhance White Rock Lake Park. Their efforts have helped ensure that the lake remains an urban oasis. Friends of White Rock Lake Dog Park will use monies raised to improve parking and accessibility at White Rock Lake Dog Park on Mockingbird Lane.

The host of Walk, Wag & Run, the Lakewood Service League, is a nonprofit organization focused on improving economic, educational, cultural and civic conditions in the East Dallas community. Since the League was founded in 1982, members have volunteered nearly 120,000 hours of their time, and they’ve raised $1.27 million for East Dallas charities.

ABOUT THE JL LONG FUN RUN

THE LONG RUN starts and finishes at the front lawn of J.L. Long Middle School, located at 6116 Reiger Avenue. After the races, runners, student groups, and community members meet for food, refreshments, and entertainment.
 
This year’s event will take place Thursday, October 7, with festivities beginning at 5:30 pm. The 1-mile fun run/walk, beginning at 6:00 pm, is oriented to kids, families and those “not so serious” runners. It will encircle the J.L. Long Middle School and Woodrow Wilson High School campuses. The 5K run, beginning at 6:30 pm, will be a challenging course that winds its way through the picturesque Hollywood Heights neighborhood in Old East Dallas.  
 
Each entrant will receive a race T-shirt. In addition, awards will be given for the fastest runners in the various age categories.
 
Early registration is just $10 for children 14 and under and $15 for adults. Entry forms can be picked up at the J.L. Long Middle School office, Run On! at 5400 E. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 114, starting in mid-September, or online at www.jllong.com.
 
THE LONG RUN is the only fundraiser sponsored by the J.L. Long Middle School PTA. Proceeds from the event provide the operating funds for the PTA to sponsor educational programs and to provide those “extras” that aren’t provided for in DISD budgets. Some of the items that proceeds from past years’ races have funded are things like InFocus computer projectors for the classrooms, funding for field trips, creative writing program known as the Writers Garret, ROTC uniforms, new instruments for the band and orchestra, entry fees for Expectations Show Choir competition, and eye glasses for economically disadvantaged students.