At least 60 to 70 runners gathered Saturday at the Fellowship Bible Church, hoping rainwater would hold off long enough to aid efforts in bringing pure water to people who need it.
The church arranged to have the sprinters run for at least six kilometers in a fundraiser for WaterMission.org-an organization that provides clean water to people in evolving countries throughout the world-especially in areas like Central and South America as well as large portions of Africa.
"This is something we've been considering for at least the last seven or eight years," said Richard Hornok, senior pastor at Fellowship Bible Church.
"That is helping bring clean and safe water to other countries."
The idea to have a 6K foot race, rather then the traditional 5K, stemmed from the fact women and children in developing countries have to walk about 6 kilometers-3.7 miles-every day just to get water for cooking, cleaning, laundry and other necessities of life.
One of the participating runners in the fundraiser, Kris Yells, said this distance adds significance to the running distance.
"I believe that if women and children have to walk and carry heavy containers of better water back to where they live, I can at least show my support for them by running the same 6K distance," she said.
Ann Green, another participant, said the great need for clean water in other parts of the world gives her and others a chance to spread more of Christ's love to other people.
"We can learn how to spread the love of Jesus by helping to provide these physical needs to others," she said.
Lance Kyles, one of the event's volunteers, said the race provided the church the a chance for some community outreach.
"This fundraiser also gave us a chance to do something in the spring season that people like and that is to just have some fun and fellowship together,"he said.
"Water is something we here in this part of the world take for granted.
This race gives the participants a sense of purpose in letting people know that something as important as water can't be taken for granted."