The Rock Slide comes home to Buffalo Ridge
by Carin R. Kirkegaard
On October 2 the Rock Slide, a family-centered 5k run, will return to the streets of Castle Pines North and Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE).
In 2004, the idea for the Rock Slide was planted in the community fun run, the Buffalo Stampede, and was held in conjunction with BRE and what was then the new neighborhood elementary school, Timber Trail Elementary. With the event’s huge success, the Douglas County School District decided to bring the entire Rock Canyon High School district into the fun and made the event a fundraiser for the area.
In the past, the race has always occurred in early November. For the first time last year, weather proved to be a problem and the event was eventually cancelled after rescheduling attempts failed.
According to Lesley Gibson, the vice president of Ways and Means of the Buffalo Ridge Education Alliance (BREA), the Douglas County Educational Foundation has three fun runs scheduled throughout the 2010-2011 school year. This, along with the cancelled race and dwindling sponsorship, led to bringing the Rock Slide home to BRE.
The focus of this year’s event will be to promote health and wellness throughout the school as well as to bolster school spirit. Individual prizes will be awarded for students exhibiting the most school spirit in each grade, so get creative with colors, hats, ribbons, and hair!
Rhonda Guitierrez, the physical education teacher at BRE will once again offer Rock Slide training classes for students that will emphasize the importance of exercise and nutrition in a healthy lifestyle.
The event will take place at BRE with a warm-up starting at 8:30 a.m. and the race beginning at 9:00 a.m. Following the race, a waffle breakfast with Denver’s Waffle Brother’s famous Belgian waffles will be served. Tickets are $35 per family or $12 per student; prices include the waffle breakfast. The Scholastic Fall Book Fair will also be open for race participants to shop before and after the race.
To learn more about the event and how to register, visit the BREA website at www.buffaloridgeelementary.org.
