Dear editor,

Following another successful Get Fit Selma! Health & Fitness Festival this past Saturday we wanted to thank a number of organizations and individuals that contributed to that success. Beautiful weather allowed us to stage a larger 5K Run and Community Fun Run, and we saw two runners best the run times established last year. Tony Johnson beat last year’s record of 22:24 mins for men with a time of 18:15, and Ann McClendon beat last year’s record of 25:40 mins for women with a time of 24:45. Both runners walked away with a $100 prize.

Taylor Internal Medicine, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and McRae-Gaines Learning Center were joined by the Rho Eta Chapter of Chi Eta Phi, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Sigma Gamma Rho Sororities to deliver quality health screenings. Mr. Wayne Sharpe of WJAM served as Emcee and Sarrell Dental, Vaughan Regional Medical Center, Dallas County Extension System, Amedysis Home Health Care, Cahaba Center for Mental Health, Selma VA, Selma AIR, Tri-County Sickle Cell Disease and the Demopolis City Police presenting car seat safety were just some of the organizations that provided attendees with important health education. It goes without saying that the facilities at Wallace Community College Selma made a superb venue for our event and the Facilities Crew and Security Officers made setting up and presentation seamless.

The event featured an expanded Let’s Move! Kid’s Challenge with participation by Care Ambulance Service and the Selma City Fire Department. McRae-Gaines funded an inflatable for the children and the Concordia soccer team helped time runners during the 5K and Fun Run, put on both an outstanding obstacle course for all ages and soccer shootout for children from four to 12 years of age. Every child walked away with a Nike soccer ball.

Interactive demonstrations by local dance, exercise and fitness professionals Shelley Patterson, Tonya Gaskins, Kimberly Benjamin, Gladys Powell and Sister Yomi got spectators out of the bleachers and onto the floor, and the Southside High School Cheerleaders added pizzazz to the program.

Volunteer organizations included McRae-Gaines staff and parents, Delta Gems and Delta Academy, the Omega Chi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternities and the Freedom Foundation among many others.

We would have been unable to put on this year’s festival without the service of our Planning committee members Dorothy Chatmon, Lydia Chatmon, Cassandra Ford, Bill Hamm, Sarah James, Charles Johnson, Angie McCary, Callie Nelson, Bill Potter, Danica Taylor and Cynthia West. We thank them for their tireless efforts over the past eight months.

Lastly, thanks to our top sponsors: Dentaquest, The Care Foundation of Alabama Blue Cross Blue Shield, Wells Fargo Bank, Vaughan Regional Medical Center, Walmart, Gatorade, Nike, Alabama Electric Cooperative, Amedysis Home Health Care, Honda Lock Alabama, members of the Selma City Council, attorney. John Stamps, Regions Bank, PNC Bank and International Paper Company. We are grateful for their vision and their support. All of us look forward to providing an even better Health & Fitness Festival in September 2015.

Director Mrs. Sadie Moss and the 

McRae-Gaines Board of Directors 

Get Fit Selma!