Sierra Club-Lancaster Group 10th Anniversary Polar Bear 5K Trail Run/Hike

Runners and hikers are invited to participate in the Lancaster Group of the Sierra Club’s 10th Anniversary Polar Bear 5K (3.1 miles) Trail Run/Hike at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 18, 2020, in scenic Lancaster County Central Park. Participants also may bring their dogs (on a leash) to run or walk with them.

This is the 5K fun run that awards unique prizes and colorful ribbons to, among others, the overall top three male and female finishers, the first, second and third place winners in numerous age and gender categories, and the first three finishers (any age group) who race with their dogs. There will also be super door and dog prizes for this milestone event!

The race will follow the same route as last January (2019), winding through the park on well-maintained trails with some hills. Race day registration and check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the park’s Pavilion 22 (Kiwanis Lodge). People registering in advance can pick up their race packets the day before the event, Friday, January 17, 2020, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Dick's Sporting Goods, Belmont Shoppes, Lancaster.

Registration fee is $25 from now through December 25, 2019; $30 after this date through January 17, 2020; and $35 for walk-ins on race day, January 18, 2020. T-shirts are guaranteed for all those who register by January 4 (2020).

For more information and registration forms (online beginning Nov.15), visit http://lancastersierraclub.org/home/polar-bear-5k-run-hike-or-walk-your-dog/ or www.lancastersierraclub.org, email sierraclubevent@gmail.com, or "Like" us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sierraclublancaster.

All money raised by this event, the Sierra Club - Lancaster Group’s major fundraiser, supports local efforts to end global warming, the reason polar bears and other creatures are at risk of extinction. Funds raised in the 2020 race will help finance the Group's popular "green project" grant program, which has awarded grants of up to $500 to 44 Lancaster County organizations over the past four years. The money also will help support the Group's free outdoor activities and educational programs that are designed to help people better appreciate, protect and preserve the environment.

Two hundred and thirty-four runners and hikers registered for the race last January (2019). Scores of volunteers also were on hand to oversee the event, and 47 well-behaved dogs (on leashes) either ran or walked with their owners.

Organization background: The Sierra Club is a national organization with each state having its own chapter. The Lancaster Group, one of ten groups that make up the PA Chapter, has approximately 1,500 members.

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