Once again the Abbie DeLoach Foundation (ADF) is a proud sponsor of the annual True Blue 5K/Abbie’s Adventure Race, held in partnership with Georgia Southern University (GSU) Campus Recreation and Intramurals.
This year the races will be held during the school’s homecoming weekend on Saturday, Oct. 21, starting at the Recreation Activity Center (RAC), 2687 Akins Blvd. in Statesboro, with a path going through the beautiful campus. These fun run, walk, run/walk events provide a great kickoff leading up to the GSU football game against University of Louisiana Monroe.
Jimmy DeLoach Jr., Abbie’s dad and ADF president and founder, looks forward to passing out the medals at the finish line. “With a creatively designed course that has new surprises every year, Abbie’s Adventure Race is an event to keep coming back to,” he stated. “My daughter Abbie would have absolutely loved this type of competition. It’s a good reminder of her positive spirit for our family.”
Participants can register online until Oct. 19 at 11:59 p.m. In-person registration is available before the race on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 at the RAC. Participation in Abbie’s Adventure Race is limited, so partner up and sign up soon.
Registration costs between $25 and $40, depending on whether you are a member of the community or a student, faculty member, administrator or alumni of GSU. The Kiddie Run is free for children. The True Blue 5K race is also available as a virtual run for $25 per participant. T-shirts will be available to the first 350 registered participants.
Four ways to participate:
· Abbie’s Adventure Race (8 a.m.): This is an imaginative spin on the typical 5K race. It consists of a 5K course with various mental and physical challenges spread throughout (plan for mud and water).
· True Blue 5K Run/Walk (8:30 a.m.): This race is for anyone looking for a great trek through the beautiful GSU Statesboro campus.
· Kiddie Run (at conclusion of the race): This is a quarter-mile trek just for kids.
· Virtual 5K: The True Blue spirit spreads from Georgia and beyond (there has been a participant as far away as Japan).
The event gives ADF the opportunity to give back. This year’s Abbie DeLoach Foundation Contest will donate $1,000 to a GSU student organization, or the charity of its choice, that registers the largest number of participants. Anyone can register and list the organization they want to receive points towards the contest. You do not have to be a member of that organization to support them.
Homecoming points can also be earned by having at least five participants, but must be registered by 5 p.m. on Oct. 17. Register at http://cri.gs/trueblue.
About the Abbie DeLoach Foundation
The Abbie DeLoach Foundation (ADF) is named for Savannah, Georgia, native Abbie DeLoach, who was one of five Georgia Southern University nursing students tragically killed in a tractor-trailer collision on April 22, 2015. ADF was founded by Abbie’s father, Jimmy DeLoach Jr., in 2016. ADF has proudly presented over $1.25 million in scholarships reflecting the qualities that exemplified her life — a love of nursing, education, athleticism and world missions. ADF has awarded nearly 70 scholarships to student-athletes, nursing and kinesiology students, student service programs and for outreach abroad. In addition, ADF has built an international home for women in Abbie’s name, with $90,000 invested to stop the exploitation of women. The mission of the foundation is to continue Abbie’s legacy of selfless service to others, generosity, academic and athletic achievement, and compassion for all. It is headquartered in Savannah. For more information, visit www.abbiedeloachfoundation.com.