News : Hope Runs Pink in Benton County for a tenth year!

Hope Runs Pink/Party in Pink 5k brought 302 participants raising over $10,000

Organizers are pleased to announce that the 2022 Party in Pink 5K held this past weekend raised over $10,000. The beneficiary of these donations is the Gifts of Hope Program, which offers financial support for breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The event brought 302 registered participants to Vinton's Riverside Park on Friday evening for the in-person event. Those who registered for the event were also offered the option of participating virtually if preferred.

In its tenth year, the Party in Pink event is known as the primary source of funds for Gifts of Hope. The event is also a collaborative effort between Virginia Gay Hospital, Virginia Gay Hospital Foundation, and the support group, Survivors of Benton County. The fundraiser coincides each year with Vinton's annual community celebration, Party in the Park.

In what has become a tradition, the evening started with the popular kid's fun run. Student volunteers from Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District led kids under the age of 12 around a short course and passed out medals to each participant as they dashed across the finish line. Tyler Henkle served as the master of ceremonies keeping racers entertained and informed during pre-race preparation. Vinton-Shellsburg Community High School students Darby Glenn and Cameron Dawson-Fink performed the National Anthem.

A big thank you goes to TrueTime Racing Services for providing chipped timing to track and report individual finish times for Party in Pink. The overall male winner of this year's 5K race was Jack Blais with a time of 19:12, Female winner of 5K was Emma Olsem with a time of 27:29. The 10K overall male winner was Blake Colton with a time of 39:21, and Female winner was Laura Dierks with a time of 55:13.

A complete list of race results is available online at (bit.ly/2022_PIPINK_RESULTS). Submit your virtual run time between June 16 and June 27.

1. Go to this link: https://results.truetimeracing.com/results.aspx?CId=16535&RId=956&EId=1

2. Search for your name and click the "Submit Virtual Results" link next to your name

3. Enter your finish time

4. Click the submit button After following these steps your race time will be displayed on the results page in the virtual category.

Organizers also extend a huge thank you to those who register and participate by volunteering or sponsoring each year. "We are more than grateful to the many volunteers who help with all aspects of the race each and every year. Their assistance with everything from registration to traffic control along the route is instrumental to our success," says Robin Martin, event chair and Virginia Gay Hospital Foundation director. "We thank everyone involved, from volunteers to registrants to sponsors. Each person involved brings value to Gifts of Hope and are the reason we have been able to distribute as much as $15,000 in assistance each year."

Sponsors for this year included:

My Credit Guy

Cedar Valley Breast Care Center

CarQuest of Vinton

Sara Stuefen, DDS

Karr Creative, LLC, Monkeythis

John's Qwik Stop

Pella Roofing & Insulation

Cyndi Alderson & Family

Linda & Wayne Siela

Fareway Grocery Store

WE Run, LLC

Cobblestone Inn & Suites

Daniel & Chelsea People

Mike & Michele Schoonover

Mossman Law Firm

Wilson Hite Insurance

Vinton Tire & Auto Repair

Cedar Valley Bank & Trust

Kathy & Frank Van Steenhuyse

Farmers Savings Bank & Trust

Stoney Arch Financial

Dr. Alan & Janet Woodhouse

Rick & Yvonne Zimpfer

LaGrange Pharmacy

Benton County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau Financial Services

Doris M. Holst

Ervin Motor Company

JWS Transport

Frank & Yvette Baker

Randy & Cindy Forsyth

Vicky Buckingham

Windsor Manor

US Bank

New Beginnings Salon

Benton County Title Company

Microbalance Accounting Services, LLC

Palace Theater

Clipper Corner

Vinton Trophy & Awards

Dawana Trasak

VPRD

Vinton Police Department

Vinton Fire Department

North Benton Ambulance

Benton County Sheriff Department

Pink Heals of Eastern Iowa

Tharp Design

Deb & Mark Wilberg

Virginia Gay Hospital & Clinics

Survivors of Benton County

McGee Distributing

Dr. Kyle & Sylvia Song

Ryan & Kelly Allsup

Team Caseys

Vinton Hotel Occupancy (HOT) Grant

Theisen's - More for Your Community Fund

Each year, the Party in Pink 5K raises funds for the Gifts of Hope program. Gifts of Hope funds are then distributed locally through Virginia Gay family medical clinics located in Atkins, Van Horne, Urbana, and Vinton and help pay expenses related to breast cancer treatment and diagnosis. Early detection continues to be essential in the best outcomes with breast cancer, and Gifts of Hope is in place to make sure everyone in Benton County has access and can afford to receive a 3D mammogram. Clinic health care providers can facilitate financial support through Gifts of Hope without needing an application for assistance. Those in need should discuss their needs with their doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.

Learn more about Gifts of Hope and the Virginia Gay Hospital Health Care Foundation at www.myvgh.org/vgh-foundation/gifts-of-hope/.org. Questions regarding the Party in Pink 5K event or contributions to the Gifts of Hope fund may be directed to Robin Martin by phone at 319-472-6375 or by email at rmartin@vghinc.com.

Pictures from the race can be seen here.