With two major hurricanes hitting Florida within the last six weeks, the Wellington Rotary Club’s Sunday, Nov. 10 Ruck March and Food Drive have taken on even more significance.
Participants will race or walk over a 5K or 2K course wearing backpacks — known in the military as “rucks” — filled with nonperishable food items. After runners and walkers cross the finish line, they’ll empty their rucks into collection bins for the village’s annual holiday food drive.
Commitments of food donations already are coming in, said retired U.S. Army Col. George Kinoshita, a Rotarian who suggested the ruck event and is in charge of it. “The food drive is going great,” he said.
Still, more is needed, said Rotarian Marc Strich, who is co-chair with Kinoshita.
“We need more than ever before because the hurricanes and tornadoes sapped the local food pantries,” he said. “We need to build that back up ahead of the holidays, when people often need assistance.”
Hurricane Helene struck the Big Bend area of Florida on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm, and Hurricane Milton came ashore Oct. 21 near Siesta Key as a Category 3. Tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Milton damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in Wellington, Loxahatchee Groves, The Acreage, Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter Farms, along with other locations in Martin and St. Lucie counties.
If a ruck march doesn’t sound like your style, no problem, Kinoshita said. There’ll be a drive-by drop-off at Village Park on Pierson Road from early in the morning on Nov. 10 until the fun is over.
Part of that fun will include music, hydration stations and a chance to show your patriotism on Veterans Day weekend, as a military color guard honors former servicemen and women and celebrates the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps.
A local American Legion post is sending three four-person ruck teams, Kinoshita said.
Individual competition in the timed 5K and 2K will be broken down into 10 categories, each based on gender and age ranging from 12-and-under to 60-70-plus. Age and gender also will be a factor in how much weight will be carried in a rucker’s pack, anywhere from 8 to 15 pounds.
There are 10 categories available for four-person mixed teams — five for each distance — that can be made up of friends, business associates or even family members.
The competition gets underway at 9 a.m. Trophies will be awarded. The cost is $28 per person. Team sponsors are $500.
You can sign up for the race at www.runsignup.com then click “Find a Race” and search for Wellington. Or you can simply come out, bring a few unexpired food items and walk the course while enjoying what historically is one of the nicest weekends, weatherwise, of the year, Strich said.
There also will be a number of raffle items available, Kinoshita said, including a $100 basket from the new Mission BBQ (11929 Southern Blvd.) and a gift card for a foursome at the Village Golf Club (122 Country Club Drive). Both locations are in Royal Palm Beach.
Food also can be dropped off at the golf club and at the Wellington Food Pantry at the Wellington Community Center at 12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.
Strich said race signups have not come in at the volume hoped for, but he is optimistic.
“I’m told by race experts that 80 percent of the signups come in during the last 10 days. I’m feeling good about it, but want to feel great,” he said.
Whether or not the club makes back its investment in the area’s first-ever such event is not the most important thing.
“This is far and above Rotary. This is to help the community,” Strich said.
