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5K helps Source of Success reach its goal of helping kids A hot and humid Saturday morning was perfect weather for a run around the Cal-Mum block. A record number of people took part in the third annual Source of Success 5K run/walk on Saturday, June 2. The course followed a 3.1 mile block between Caledonia and Mumford. Seventy-five people, including runners and walkers, took off from the starting line located on Main Street in Caledonia in front of the First Presbyterian Church. Source of Success, an after school program, hosted the event that is one of their annual fundraisers. Source of Success is an afternoon program opportunity for sixth and seventh grade students in the Caledonia-Mumford School District that provides academic support as well as life lessons such as study skills, task management, and relationship building. The SOS program operates Monday through Thursday until 5 p.m. in the Gibson-Connor house, owned by and located next to the First Presbyterian Church. In this homelike environment, the program administrator and a staff of adult and student volunteers provide students help with homework and studying, access to computers and the Internet, arts and crafts, socialization, friendship and an after school snack. Focus On the Children, a Livingston County children’s agency, also has offices in the Gibson-Connor House. A ministry of the church, SOS is in its fifth year of supporting Cal-Mum youngsters in their middle years of school. Rev. Nancy Reinert, pastor at First Presbyterian Church, says the program is unique within the community in that it is aimed at students who are making the difficult transition from childhood to adolescence. During its developmental stage, there was some that skepticism about the need and interest for a program for kids of this age group. Reinert says their vision of middle school program became refined after a church committee had discussions with people from the school and community about their plan to launch such a program. "The opinions of professionals in the school and community told us that this is the age group that you have an opportunity to reach. The church is always looking for ministry opportunities on the margin, those that are transforming people’s lives, changing lives. Cal-Mum teachers report that the SOS program is changing these students’ lives," Reinert said. Caledonia-Mumford Middle School Principal Robert Molisani ran the 5K course and came in second place in the men’s 32-39 age category. He’s witnessed first hand the difference that the SOS program has made in the lives of many of the kids that attend it. "The faculty and staff at the middle school fully support the Source of Success program and appreciate its many workers and the people at First Presbyterian Church for starting the program. We have seen many SOS kids make positive improvements and it is evidenced in their grades, their attitudes and in the friendships that they make," Molisani commented. Program Administrator Sharon Balonek is the only paid employee. Community members and high school students serve as volunteer staff, which actually turned out to be a benefit to the kids whose self-image is boosted when a high school student says hello to them by name in school, Reinert explained. Balonek says the kids grow in maturity by leaps and bounds throughout the school year. "One boy that started with SOS at the beginning of the year wouldn’t even join us for snack. Now he’s walking with the boys and talking a mile a minute," Balonek said. "A seventh grader told me they wouldn’t have passed the grade without SOS and asked if they could come back as an eighth grader," she recalled. Jennifer Martin participated in the walk/run. She pushed her two year old, Gabrielle, in a stroller throughout the entire course. The Gibson-Connor house belonged to her grandmother. She spent many hours of her childhood visiting with her grandmother in the house. "This is really a great thing for our family to be able to give back to the community. Source of Success gives kids a wonderful place to go after school. I’m pushing Gabrielle in the stroller for a really good cause," Martin commented. The SOS 5K run/walk was started three years ago with a two-fold goal of raising much needed funding and to raise awareness within the community. Race Director Jeff Bird and his wife, Barbara, president of the SOS Board of Directors, are pleased that the goal is being accomplished. "This year we had 75 participants in the SOS walk/run, the largest number we’ve had since we started the event. We anticipate that it will be even more next year," Jeff Bird said. There were several categories divided by age and gender however, the first runner to cross the finish line was Andy Forma, 21 years old of Elma, NY who finished at 16:14. Keith Scott, 44 years old, was second and 20 year old Matthew Keenan was third. Alex Hall, an 11 year old sixth grader at Cal-Mum Middle School was fourth across the finish and Lanh Nguyen was the first female to finish the race. Prizes were awarded to these and other finishers.
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