Runners take to the beach and the bridge during 5K Walk/Runs

St. Simons Island Beach Walk/Run set for Feb. 14

The Golden Isles Track Club will sponsor its first "I Love the Beach 5K Beach Walk/Run," Saturday February 14 on St. Simons Island.

The race will begin and end at the beach crossover at the old Coast Guard Station on East Beach. Registration will be from 7:00 to 7:45 am, and the race will begin at 8:00 am. The top three finishers in each of 13 age divisions will receive awards, each with an island theme. Overall best prizes also will be presented. T-shirts are guaranteed for all who pre-register.

According to GITC officials, there hasn't been a beach run on St. Simons Island since 1995. According to club secretary Lea King, the race is designed to be "a fun time for all," serious runners and casual walkers alike.

The race is being held to raise community awareness about organ donation. According to the Georgia Lifelink transplant awareness group, there are nearly 3,000 Georgians on the national organ waiting list. Donor cards and educational information will be provided in all race packets, and organ donors and their recipients will be on hand to share their experiences.

King, an organ donor, gave a kidney to her mother in 2002.

Applications are available at area athletic clubs and health stores. Participants also can register online. For more information, call 912-638-2396.

Annual Bridge Run set for March 21

The seventh annual Southeast Georgia Health System Bridge Run across the Sidney Lanier Bridge will take place Saturday, March 21.

The 5K Walk/Run will carry participants over the Sidney Lanier Bridge and its approaches, which are more than 7,700 feet long, and 185 feet above the Brunswick River. Participants will start on the southbound side of the bridge, cross it and return.

Because of the steep angle of the bridge (approximately 6% grade), no baby strollers, running strollers or rollerblades will be allowed.

The event will include a variety of activities including

• Dept. of Natural Resources interactive fishing booth
• Children's casting contest
• Children's face painting
• Entertainment
• Food and Awards

Pre-registration entry fee for the Bridge Run is $18 per person. Pre-registration forms must be postmarked by March 6. Registration forms and information are available online, or call 912-466-7007. Race day registration will open at 7:30 am; Race day registration fee will be $25 per person. Only those who pre-register will be guaranteed a commemorative race T-shirt.

The event will benefit the Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation.

Georgia's Biggest Outdoor Yard Sale links 'The Peaches to The Beaches'

Some people live for yard sales. If you count yourself among them, don't miss the fifth annual Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale, Georgia's largest yard sale, Friday and Saturday March 13 and 14.

The Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale spans 212 miles, from the beaches of Brunswick & The Golden Isles to the peach orchards of middle Georgia, along US Highway 341. In Brunswick & The Golden Isles, official yard sale sites will be in:

• Downtown Brunswick at Mary Ross Waterfront Park on Bay Street -
Saturday only from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

• St. Simons Island in the Pier Village - Friday-Sunday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

• Jekyll Island at the Beach Deck on Beachview Drive -
Friday and Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Other official yard sale sites along US 341 will be in Gardi, Jesup, Odum, Baxley, Hazlehurst, Lumber City, McRae, Helena, Chauncy, Eastman, Hawkinsville, Perry, Fort Valley, Roberta and Culloden. In addition, there are sure to be plenty of unofficial sites along the way.

Yard Sale vendors, many of whom have participated in previous sales, will offer an array of goods from antiques and collectibles to craft items, food and other yard sale fare.

The Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale was inspired by the “World’s Longest Yard Sale,” which runs along US Highway 127 from Gadsden, AL to West Unity, OH.

“I read about it in a newspaper article in which the writers traveled from one end to the other,” says Evelyn Simmons of the Golden Isles Parkway Association, which is sponsoring the event. “In 2000 and 2001, my husband and I drove the entire trail and had a marvelous time. It seemed like a natural thing for us to do along the Golden Isles Parkway.”

Simmons says there is an entire subculture of buyers and sellers that work the Alabama-Kentucky trail. “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure,” she explains. “We met antique dealers who would drive the trail in search of items that they would buy, take home and clean up, and then sell the following year.”

“People like to haggle,” Simmons adds. “There is a real camaraderie and willingness to share among those who participate in yard sales. It’s like a treasure hunt where you can find the best bargains.”

There also is a great economic benefit for communities and organizations that participate, Simmons continues. “We talked with Chamber of Commerce and Tourism representatives all along the trail, and the revenues generated by the various groups was phenomenal. Many places had never had anything that provided such a widespread economic impact for hotels, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses.”

“It's a great opportunity for Georgians and others to get off the Interstates, enjoy a beautiful drive and take a look at our small towns and cities. We think they will be surprised at what they find.”

Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale sites will be open Friday and Saturday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Several communities will have their sites open Sunday as well.

For more information, visit the official Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale site.