This Saturday, the Columbus Exchange Club will hold its first-ever 10K race in honor of Robert “Uncle Bunky” Williams, local beloved children’s artist and icon.
Uncle Bunky, a lifelong Columbus resident, died last August after a bout with cancer. Before his death, he expressed a wish that a fund to serve abused and neglected children be set up in his name. That led to the Uncle Bunky’s Children fund, which was set up at Uncle Bunky’s home church, Woodland Baptist Church. Money from the funds will go to buy things like school supplies and clothes for children in need, according to Exchange Club president Becky Maurer.
Shelby Hazzard, Woodland’s senior pastor, anticipates being able to begin distributing funds from the fund starting this summer.
The Uncle Bunky Memorial 10K Race will raise money to go into the memorial fund, which so far has about $4,000, according to Maurer.
The race will begin in the parking lot of the Regions Bank on Main Street at 8 a.m. It will head east through the South side of Columbus, cutting across the Mississippi University for Women’s campus and then heading back toward the Columbus Riverwalk, Maurer said. The last part of the route will go up College Street and end at the Regions Bank parking lot.
The top two runners will receive awards. Other awards will be given out for different age categories, Maurer said.
Registration for the race is $25. To register, go to racesonline.com or email [email protected]. Runners can also register at the event starting at 7 a.m.
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