Lexington, KY - Earlier this year, Gov. Steve Beshear proclaimed October 11 to be "Second Sunday," a day devoted across the commonwealth to health and fitness.
Started last year in Fayette County, this yearly event has become a statewide program to emphasize well-being and to reverse Kentucky's downward trend in national health statistics.
Patterned after a similar program in Bogota, Colombia, that sees well over 100,000 participants, this year sees more than 100 counties across Kentucky participating, up from 70 last year. This day will see many counties closing roads and encouraging their residents to walk, run, bike, swim and participate in both formal and informal recreational events that focus on health and physical fitness.
This year, Jessamine County will be taking its Second Sunday activities one step further; while many counties will be shutting down roads to emphasize physical fitness, Jessamine will be the only county hosting an actual run/walk race. This race came about as a way to honor two Jessamine County individuals who were lost to disease earlier this year - Ralph Sallee, an East Jessamine High School basketball coach who passed away after a bout with cancer, and Ryan Robinson, a West Jessamine High School student who died after contracting first the flu and then MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a deadly bacterial infection).
"My personal goal is to have everyone know who you're talking about when you say Ralph and Ryan," said John Howard, associate director of Nicholasville-Jessamine County Parks & Recreation and one of the organizers of the event. Howard was a coaching colleague and friend of Sallee at East Jessamine High School.
The "6K Run for Ralph and Ryan" was going to be an independent event, but the race was then chosen to be the focus of Second Sunday activities in Jessamine County. The race is a run/walk event that will start at West Jessamine High School and will finally end at East Jessamine High School, a distance of nearly six kilometers. Wilmore Road, which becomes Maple Street and then Sulphur Mill Road, will be closed for the duration of the event. The money raised from the entry fee to the race will be used to provide a yearly scholarship to both an East and West Jessamine student.
Marisa Aull, Jessamine County extension agent for family and consumer sciences, believes this is much more than a physical fitness event and can actually strengthen the community.
"People will get an opportunity to know everyone in their community," she said.
Howard agreed, and sees the possibility for local businesses to capitalize as well.
"Maybe this will help businesses realize that they don't operate in a community divided," he said. Howard said his hope is that Jessamine County will be seen as a unified area, rather than two disparate groups divvied up by Nicholasville city limits or school zones. This unifying theme runs through the entire event, as it highlights schools from both Jessamine zones, most of which are located along the race route. As if to underscore this fact, the traditional East-West football game will be taking place on Friday, October 9, two days before the Second Sunday events, giving these traditional rivals the chance to compete against each other one night and then run side-by-side two days later in support of a common cause. The race emphasizes the idea that even such strong rivals have something in common, as the race route literally connects the two high schools. The traditional East-West football game is such a bedrock community event that organizers of the Second Sunday activities hope to hold the game on either the night before or day of Second Sunday next year, which falls on the memorable date of 10-10-10.
Howard said that a larger goal for Jessamine County is to sponsor or assist with more races of this type within the county.
"We're currently involved with at least 20K of races in Jessamine County. We'd like to sponsor or least assist with 100K," he said.
In addition to physical fitness, Jessamine County's Second Sunday event will also showcase general health and wellness issues, with flu prevention being a major focus. Bluegrass Community Health will be onsite to provide flu shots - $15.00 for adults and free for children. The Jessamine County Health Department reports that there will be a small possibility of receiving H1N1 vaccines in time for this event as well, and if so, they will be available to the public. Flu prevention seems to be a perfect fit for a secondary theme at Jessamine's Second Sunday events.
"Most people don't know that Ryan [Robinson] had the flu before he contracted MRSA," said Howard. The flu opened the door to the MRSA infection, leading to Robinson's death. His mother, Patty Brown, has since become an advocate for both flu and MRSA prevention. The topic is all the more timely with the widespread worry about the H1N1 flu pandemic.
The culmination of the 6K race will be at East Jessamine High School. This location will provide the crux of the activities for the Second Sunday event in Jessamine County. There will be inflatables for children to play in, and Jazzercise will be available with fitness tips. Bumblebee Marketing will be providing the event shirts, and television coverage of the events across the Commonwealth that day will be seen on WKYT. The 6K race is an all-age event and is not limited to Jessamine County residents. The entry fee is $10 before October 8, and $15 from October 8 until the day of the race. All other Jessamine County activities that day are free and open to the public. For more information on Jessamine County Second Sunday activities, visit www.njcpr.org. For more information on Second Sunday across the commonwealth, visit www.2ndSundayKY.com.