Photo courtesy of Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood Association (HAPNA)
The Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood Association (HAPNA) invites all runners and walkers to the 2nd Annual Scarecrow Classic 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk, Saturday, October 28. Funds raised will support HAPNA’s public, botanical garden.
Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. at the Atkins-Porter Rec Center, 301 S. Highland Street in Paris; the action starts at 8:00 a.m. Register at EventBrite.com or visit RE/Max Cornerstone Realty, 1011 Locust Street. Visa gift cards awarded for 5K male and female fastest times and best costume; all entrants receive a race t-shirt. (Register before October 16 to receive shirt on race day. Only registered participants are eligible for costume contest.)
The Scarecrow Classic 5K Run is great for old pros and beginners, alike, according to Race Coordinator Jay Hosford. “It winds from Atkins-Porter (A.P.) Rec Center down Park Street, around Whitehall Circle then back up to A.P. via Blanton Street. Run that route twice and you’ve done a 5K,” he says.
Meanwhile, walkers can take a leisurely, 1-mile stroll along Dunlap, Walnut, Jackson and Head Streets, enjoying the fall colors and some of the neighborhoods most historic homes. There is even a special loop through HAPNA’s Botanical Garden, at 311 Jackson Street, where walkers are invited to take a break under the pavilion and enjoy the scenery.
HAPNA Neighbors Julie Leach, event chair and Annette Douglas are big fans of the garden, the town’s first and only botanical garden. It is open to the public for reading, picnics, and learning, and often hosts children’s programing from the W.G. Rhea Public Library, the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, church youth groups and others, according to Douglas. At Halloween and Christmas, it’s decorated with myriad lights and inflatables that are enjoyed by both children and adults.
Sponsors for the Scarecrow Classic include Property Assessment Alliance, LLC; Susan Jones Public Relations; RE/MAX Cornerstone Real Estate, McDevitt Construction; Henry County Medical Center; Home Sweet Home Bed and Breakfast; and Ridgeway Funeral Home.
Caption – HAPNA Board Member Connor Courtemanche offers a cup of water to Marsha Banasiewicz during last year’s Scarecrow Classic 5K Run and Walk, sponsored by Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood Association (HAPNA). Runners and walkers are invited to the second annual event, Saturday, October 28, 2023. Funds raised support HAPNA’s public botanical garden. Register at EventBrite.com or RE/MAX Cornerstone Real Estate, 1011 Locust Street. Visa gift cards awarded for 5K male and female fastest times and best costume; all entrants receive a race t-shirt. Register before October 16 to receive shirt on race day. Only registered participants are eligible for costume contest.