The first-ever House of Hope 5K Run/2 Mile Walk on Saturday morning raised $6,700 for the Bible-based addiction recovery program.
The event, held near the House of Hope campus in Wildwood drew 233 registered participants.
The top finisher was 16-year-old Joseph Cilenti, a junior at South Sumter High School. He finished in 20 minutes, eight seconds.
“It was my first race. I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Cilenti who plays baseball and is president of the Interact Club that works with Rotary.
The top female finisher was Denise O’Rourke, 37, of Oxford. She finished in 22 minutes and 54 seconds.
Each received House of Hope 5K posters, autographed on the back, by the men at House of Hope.
The theme of the race was “Breaking the Chains of Addiction.” Each finisher received a link of chain to remind them of their role in the healing process for the men at House of Hope.
Several men from House of Hope also ran in the event.
The race director, Kurt Backstrom, has been training with the men at House of Hope.
“Running helps with the recovery process,” he said.
Many of the runners and walkers came from The Villages.
Lou Soukup of The Villages was fourth overall, running the course in an impressive 22 minutes, six seconds. Right on his heels was fellow Villager Dennis Kroskey, 65, who ran the 3.1-mile distance in 22 minutes, 17 seconds.
Jean Kiker, 78, of the Village of Bonnybrook, claimed first place in her age group.
She credits pickelball with keeping her fit.
Results from the race can be found at http://www.redpointerrunning.com/
