COSTUMES, PUMPKINS AND RUNNING SHOES:
PROVIDENCE HARVEST DASH RETURNS TO
HARVEST FEST ON OCT. 17

HOOD RIVER, Ore. – Even goblins and ghosts need to exercise, and the annual Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital’s Harvest Dash is the perfect opportunity. The Dash features two running events and a family-friendly walk on Saturday, Oct. 17. Race participants are encouraged to dress up, and prizes will be awarded for best costumes. All participants will receive mini pumpkins. Race winners will receive commemorative Harvest Dash medals and carved pumpkins.

The Dash helps kick off Saturday morning festivities at the Hood River County Chamber’s Harvest Fest. This annual celebration is of the one of the largest in the Gorge, drawing more than 35,000 visitors each year. It features craft and artisan exhibitors, locally grown produce, food and music.

The Harvest Dash race was the idea of Providence Hood River’s Chief Executive Ty W. Erickson, an avid runner. “This is our second dash and given the success of last year, we know it will become a fixture of Harvest Fest,” said Erickson “The race is one of the many ways we promote healthy lifestyles in our Columbia Gorge communities.”

All races begin and end at the Hood River waterfront event site. The challenging 10K course begins at 9 a.m. Runners will face a significant incline on the Indian Creek Trail and then a downhill stretch from the hospital into town. The remainder of the route is flat asphalt and winds back to the waterfront.

The 5K course begins at 9:15 a.m., on a flat asphalt and gravel route taking runners along the waterfront and offering breathtaking views of Mt. Adams and the Columbia River.

The family fun walk begins at 9:15 a.m., and ends at the event site, where Harvest Fest will open to the public at 10 a.m.

Registration is $25 and includes parking and entry into the Harvest Fest grounds and a commemorative Harvest Dash T-shirt. Kids 10 and younger receive free registration.

Pre-register online at www.active.com or in person 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 16, in the lobby of Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital. Race day registration will be held 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Hood River waterfront event site. For information, call 541-387-6249 or e-mail george.thomas@providence.org.

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Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital is part of Providence Health & Services, the state’s largest health system and largest private employer. Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital is a full-service, critical-access hospital with a 24-hour Emergency Department. Providence offers a wide range of health care services in the communities of the Columbia River Gorge through its clinics, care centers and senior living facilities.