Team Mojo Holds First Ever Wellsville Event

Saturday – August 27: The Team Mojo Foundation had its debut event in Wellsville this past Saturday. It was a Center Pharmacy sponsored Back to School 5K Run & Walk. For a token entry fee and a donation of school supplies participants were eligible to compete for one of the many trophies.

The 5K Run/Walk began and finished at Wellsville High School. Competitors started going west on Clark Avenue to 17th to Main, up to 9th and over to Riverside. From there they proceeded to 3rd Street over to Broadway, back to 9th and onto Commerce. They turned at 14th Street back to Bengal Drive and the finish line. Wellsville PD provided an escort along with assistants on bicycles.

The Team Mojo Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission “to create opportunities for underprivileged young people in areas of education, art, music, sports, life skills and other worthwhile endeavors by providing support, guidance and financial assistance”. It's their goal to help kids shine by creating worthwhile opportunities for young people in need. Team Mojo represents young people in the whole tri-state area.

Before the 9 AM race got started Yoga Trainer Amy McCormack was on hand leading stretching exercises to help the runners loosen up. McCormack is with Always Mindful Yoga For You. Team Mojo founder and Executive Director Bill Crawford noted the 70 registrants was an excellent response to a first time event in a new community. They tell us that 5K is a tad over three miles.

Winners were Tom McNear with a time of 19minutes, 49 seconds for first place. Second place went to 15 year old Austin Rhodes with a time of 21:13 and third place to Vincent Dean. Samantha Garcia, the top female runner, was running neck-to-neck with Wellsville's Tim Long. Garcia had a time of 22:23.

Prizes were awarded to first place winners broken down by age groups in addition to the overall first place winners. We think the Cline lads from Chester (in the stroller) won their division. There was 7 month old Jack and 23 month old Gannon with dad Kimmer providing the push.

Crawford said the next event being planned is a Bridge-to-Bridge 10K. That is being planned from the Jennings Randolph Bridge to the Newell Bridge. For more information on this event and the Team Mojo Foundation check out their web site at www.teammojofoundation.org.

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