Open Door, lake board will benefit from race
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff Getting into the spirit of Thanksgiving, pupils at the Errickson School, Freehold Township, held a food drive and delivered the fruits of their labor to the Open Door food pantry in Freehold Borough on Nov. 16. Mickey Mann, 10, (c) was among the youngsters who helped to stock the food pantry's shelves. For a story about another local fundraiser that will help the food pantry, see page 13.

FREEHOLD - The hundreds of runners who sign up to participate in the annual Born to Run 5-mile race will be running for more than fitness. Their participation will help to support the Open Door food pantry and the Lake Topanemus Commission.

The 5-mile road race will take place in Freehold Borough on Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving. Registration for the race will begin at 9 a.m. at the firehouse, 49 W. Main St. Registration is $25. For further information call (732) 431-2627.

Race director Bob Hyer said he is looking forward to an even bigger turnout than last year, when 650 runners participated. The borough has hosted the race for more than 20 years.

Over the years the Born to Run race raised more than $100,000 in support of the Monmouth County Child Abuse Task Force. Last year the proceeds of the race were directed to organizations within the community and the same will hold true this year, according to Hyer.

He said the Freehold Area Running Club board of directors wanted to keep the proceeds more in the Freehold community.

"Last year we had our first opportunity to do that," Hyer said.

The 5-mile race will take runners along borough streets, starting from the parking lot on Court Street, through the back streets of town, to Lake Topanemus on Pond Road, Freehold Township, where runners will navigate a 1.6-mile trail before heading back to the borough.

Last year's race raised $4,000 that was donated to the Open Door food pantry and to the Lake Topanemus Commission. Each organization was presented with $2,000.

Jeanne Yaecker, director of the food pantry, said the members of the running club "have always tried to do something to help local hunger." She said she is grateful for the support the race has provided.

Yaecker will be the race starter this year. She said her husband, John, and their son, Gregory, will be participants in the race, as they have been for many years.

Roger Kane, the chairman of the Lake Topanemus Commission, said he is pleased that the runners will be using a larger portion of the park at the lake this year. He said the commission is in the planning stages of building fitness stations along the trail for future use by runners, hikers and walkers.

"We want people to use more of the lake," Kane said, adding that the commission appreciates the donation from the race organizers.

The race will end on Court Street.

Hyer said Mike Page, who owns the Court Jester, has always been supportive of the race and will offer complimentary refreshments to the runners after the event.

Members of the Marine Corps League Cpl. Phillip A. Reynolds Detachment of Freehold will direct traffic as the runners approach intersections along the race route.

"We always say our streets are guarded by the U.S. Marines for our race. No other town has that," Hyer said.