Weather wets down Brain Power Walk-Run

"The weather did not play into our favor," said Jane Dittberner about the Fourth Annual Brain Power Walk-Run for Everyone. Spurts of rain and temperatures in the high 60s greeted the 103 participants on Saturday, Sept. 28, at Trojan Field.

            The numbers of runners for the one-mile and two-mile races were down from the 220 that ran in 2012. The races were held at the New Prague High School track, with the one-mile making a lap around the track. The two-mile race began on the track, then wound around the surrounding neighborhood and finished on the track.

            "Quite a few people did both the one-mile and the two-mile, so they covered three miles," said Dittberner, one of the organizers of the event.

            Winning the one-mile race was freshman Matt Phelps in 5 minutes and 30 seconds. Sophomore Chuck Shook won the two-mile race. He finished the course in roughly 15 minutes.

            Dittberner said their goal was to raise $10,000. New Prague Area Education Foundation held the event with the money raised to be designated for grants to class rooms at New Prague area schools including the public schools and St. Wenceslaus School. Dittberner said they raised $8,000 and will have to continue their fundraising efforts.

            The foundation is discussing some changes for next year’s race. Members are talking about replacing the two-mile race with a 5K. "Hopefully, we would get a few more runners," said Dittberner. Another change is to move the event to Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park, north of New Prague. Dittberner said they would make the Brain Power Walk-Run for Everyone into more of a family festival.

            The walk-run also took donations for the Peace Center, New Prague’s food shelf, bringing in approximately 100 non-perishable food items.