Kids Adventure Challenge Race Set for September 8

The second annual Kids Adventure Challenge presented by Gazelle Sports will take place Sunday, September 8th at 10am at John Ball Park in Grand Rapids.

Last year’s inaugural Kids Adventure Challenge sold out with 500 participants and raised $2,500 for Boys & Girls Club of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth.

The 2013 event is around the corner with more checkpoints, challenges, fun and – new this year – a pirate theme. Scott Sneller, store manager at Gazelle Sports Grand Rapids, participated with his family last year and will be back again this year. “There aren’t many events where families must work together. This event challenged us as a family to communicate well and encourage each other. Plus, it was fun!”

The inaugural Kids Adventure Challenge was born from Gazelle Sports’ recognition by The North Face with the Never Stop Exploring Award. The award is given to the nation’s top specialty running store that demonstrates the most complete dedication to encouraging and enabling outdoor exploration within its community. “When planning this event, supporting a nonprofit organization that was focused on youth, recreation and promoting positive community experiences was a must,” said the 2012 race director, Tessa Talsma.

This year’s event will include teams of 2-5 people navigating throughout John Ball Zoo and the surrounding park to find and complete challenges. Each pirate (participant) will receive a logbook and treasure map to navigate and keep track of his or her team’s progress. All participants receive a t-shirt, two hours of treasure hunting fun and admission to the John Ball Zoo for the remainder of the day. Teams must include one adult captain (age18 or over). More information can be found at GazelleSports.com/KAC. Cost is $15 per person. Registration is open until September 6th.