Operation Aware Red Ribbon Run

[mmillberry@gmail.com]

Students, parents, teachers and anyone who enjoys running is invited to participate in the 8th Annual Operation Aware Red Ribbon Run on Saturday, October 24.

The race course will begin and end at 31st and Riverside. It is a USTF sanctioned course and Glen's Road Race certifies the course. Participants can choose to enter the one mile Fun Run, 5K Run or 5K Racewalk.

Pre-registration for age 12 and up is $15 with a t-shirt or $10 without. Pre-registration for age 11 and under is $5 with a t-shirt or free without. Pre-Registration and packet pick-up will be Oct. 19-22  from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Operation Aware office, 7226 East 41st Street, Tulsa. Forms are also available online at www.operationaware.org or via email at mmillberry@operationaware.org.

Race day registration will open at 7:30 a.m. The cost for race day registration for age 12 and up is $20 with a t-shirt or $15 without. Race day registration for age 11 and under is $10 with a t-shirt or free without.

Awards are presented to the top 5K overall male and female, top 3 male and female runners in each age group, Clydesdale, Filly and Racewalk. There are also Fun Run participant awards. The award ceremony will be held immediately following the race.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. on race day. The Fun Run will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K event will begin at 9:00 a.m.

The American Massage Therapy Association will be on hand to provide free massages to runners as part of their National Massage Therapy Awareness Week.

The run is the local kick-off event for Red Ribbon Week. The Red Ribbon Campaign is now the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people during Red Ribbon Week.

The Red Ribbon Campaign was started when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered Kiki Camarena, a DEA agent, in 1985. This began the continuing tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs.  The National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth joined the DEA to create a red ribbon campaign in schools to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use. 

Operation Aware is a local non-profit focused on providing prevention education to equip youth with the knowledge and skills to make positive life choices.

For more information about the run, visit www.operationaware.org or call 918.582.7884.