Hundreds participate in 13th annual Run in the Sun

Hundreds participate in 13th annual Run in the Sun
The Oskaloosa Herald (IA); by Jeff Wilford; 8/6/24
When the starting whistle blew Saturday morning, more than 500 people crossed the starting line in the 13th annual Run in the Sun at William Penn Stadium. Abba's "Dancing Queen" blared over the mobile sound system's speakers. The run is a fundraiser for Mahaska Health Partnership's Hospice Serenity House. ... Participants in the event could chooses to register for either a 5k run or a 2k walk. Registration for either was $25. Donors who contribute $500 or more get their names included on the back of t-shirts made up for the event, said Amanda Doud, director of the Mahaska Foundation. There are 22 names. ... The size of donations varies. "We have a lot of families that donate $100, $200," Doud said. On the other end, Mahaska Rural Water donated $5,000 to the event, which was matched by CoBank, Doud said. Volunteers also took donations the day of the event — a first for them, Doud said. "We had a donor come forward, said all the funds raised the morning of the event, they will match," up to $20,000, Doud said. "We've never had a matching gift or anything like this before." How much money was raised isn't yet available, Doud said.