Race Day
Early Registration & Packet Pickup
Friday, Sept. 15th, 2023
4-7pm – Early T-shirt & Packet Pick Up
Location: Orono Park
Address: 18599 Gary St. NW, Elk River, MN 55330
Chalk Party! Help us Chalk the Walk with positive messages and remembrance of our loved ones! (chalk provided)
Grab dessert from Grumpy’s Mini Donuts!
Saturday, Sept. 16th, 2023
- 7:00am – Packet Pickup & Same-Day Registration
- 9:00am – Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speaker Joe Schmit
- 9:45am – Stretching by Luke Smith from SNAP Fitness
- 10:00am – 5K & 10K Bikers
- 10:05am – 5K & 10K Runners
- 10:10am – 5K Walkers
- 11:00am – Kids Activities & Food Trucks
- 12:00pm – TikTok Dance Party
- 2:00pm – End of event
Directions & Parking Information
- Event Location: Lake Orono Park – 18599 Gary Street, Elk River, MN 55330
- Please plan on parking at the Sherburne County Fairground Parking Lot: 18335 Joplin St NW, Elk River, MN 55330
- Parking is free/no-charge
- Please try to carpool if you are able!
Other Activities & Info
- Must register by Friday, August 31st, 2023 to be guaranteed a t-shirt with your registration fee
- Bring a photo of your loved one for the Memory Tree
- Friendly dogs are welcome at the event. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Please clean up after your pets.
- Mental Health Vendors will be On-Site
- Grief Support Tent & Memorial Area
- New for 2023 – Veteran Memorial Area sponsored by Hannay Electric 🇺🇸
Kids Activities
- Obstacle Course – Kids 12 & under ($20/child)
- Bounce Houses, Crazy Hair, Face Painting & Animal Balloons
- Kindness Rock Painting by Plaisted Companies
- Mindfulness with Ms. Liz
- Playground, Splash Pad & Skate Park
Food Trucks & Beverages
- Food Trucks: Batter Up, Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ, Adventure Bowls, and Mama’s Taco Truck
- Free complimentary coffee by Dunn Brothers Coffee
- Water Stations along route
Other Information
- Must register by Thursday, August 31, 2023, to be guaranteed a race participant t-shirt with your registration fee
- Bring a photo of your loved one for the Memory Tree
- Grief Support Tent & Memorial Area
- Mental Health & Wellness Vendors will be On-Site
Kids Obstacle Course
- This year we are planning a super fun carnival themed obstacle course! Kids who register for the obstacle course can also participate in the 5K run/walk/bike event (No additional charge)
- Must register by August 31st, 2023 to be guaranteed a t-shirt with your registration fee
- The obstacle course will start off with a HUGE bounce house obstacle course followed by balance beams, tunnels and more!
Keynote Speakers – Joe Schmit
Silent Impact – Stories of Influence Through Purpose, Persistence and Passion
Joe Schmit is an author, award-winning broadcaster, community leader and popular keynote speaker. His book “Silent Impact” Influence Through Purpose, Persistence and Passion is now in its second edition. His new book is titled “The Impact Blueprint,” A Step by Step Journey to a Life of Significance. Joe was recently honored by the National Speakers Association (NSA) with the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP)designation. Less than 15 percent of NSA members worldwide have achieved the CSP designation.
As a sports broadcaster he has covered every major sporting event in the past 4 decades and has interviewed many of the biggest names in sports. He joined KSTP-TV in 1985 and has won 18 Emmys from the National Television Academy. He was also honored with a National Headliner Award in 2001.
Before joining KSTP-TV in 1985, he was Sports Director for WBAY-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His career also includes positions as weekend sports anchor for KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and WKBT-TV in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Joe earned his degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Joe left broadcasting for 3-years to become President of PMMG, a media and marketing company that had clients such as Polaroid, Sun Country Airlines, Ubid, Fingerhut and others. Joe was also the spokesperson for Sun Country Airlines on all their TV and radio commercials.
Joe is a long time youth mentor committed to advocating for a number of community organizations with Big Brothers and Big Sisters is at the top of his list. He is a past president and board member of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Twin Cities. He has raised over $3 million for the organization through the Joe Schmit Celebrity Golf Tournament which had a 16-year run. In 2000, he was the winner of the Jim Kelly Distinguished Service Award from Big Brothers and Big Sisters and in 2001, a winner of the Odyssey Award for commitment to youth mentorship.
Joe was also honored as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) Community Leader of the Year in 2005. He was named the 2018 winner of the Mike Givens Award for his work with MG Charities which is working to find a cure for brain cancer. He is past president and board member of the Fairway Foundation and has contributed time to many other charitable organizations. Joe and his wife Laura chaired a four million dollar capital campaign for VEAP, the largest food shelf in Minnesota.
For more information about Joe, click here.
The Annual Thumbs Up 5K & 10K route sponsored by First Bank Elk River and HealthPartners takes place in charming Elk River, Minnesota. The paved-road course offers a 3.1 mile (5K) and a 6.2 mile (10K) run, walk, or bike race. Take in the beauty of the William H. Houlton Conservation area, the Lake Orono Dam, and breathtaking views along Lake Orono.
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