There are two youth specific races each year that the club is involved with, both of which take place during the third week of October.
One is an actual PPAC event, called the FALL RUN OFF INVITATIONAL, and is a junior high (7th and 8th grade) 2-mile cross country race. It was designed to be a copy of the Berks County senior high XC conference run and all of the teams from only those Berks County school districts who offer a junior high cross-country program are invited. This will be the 14th year of holding this event which averages about 240 kids each year. This event takes place on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at the Reading Fairgrounds, starting at 7am, and is usually done by 11am. Tasks include parking and set up from 7 to 9, and course marshaling, finish line management, and clean up from 9 to 11. Most volunteers stay for the whole thing, but many only stay for 2 hours depending on their schedule; either is a big help to us.
The other is the BCIAA (Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association) high school cross country conference run and takes place on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, from 3pm to 5:30pm at Kutztown University. My wife, Gwyn, and I direct this race and one of our responsibilities is to recruit 12 to 18 volunteers. Each year, we approach club members first, as we see this as an excellent opportunity for community outreach and to show those outside of our circle what we do. This will be our 8th year of directing this race and the Pacers have come through with not only providing almost 100% of the needed volunteers, but also executing the race flawlessly and professionally.
Both events have been a huge success in terms of PR and community outreach for the club. If you can help out at either event, give us a shout!
Tom Chobot
484-269-2889
Chobot7957@msn.com
Pagoda Pacers News 