Proceeds benefit area backpack programs
Registration is now open for the ninth annual Sturgeon Shuffle.
The event will take place on Saturday, April 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at New London Intermediate/Middle School.
The Sturgeon Shuffle, presented by First State Bank, is a 5K run/walk through New London’s Hatten Park or a 10K competitive road that winds through scenic Hatten Park before exiting onto County Highway X, which parallels the Wolf River.
The return portion of the 10K course takes runners along the paved Sturgeon Trail during the time of the year that historically sees the unique “running” of the Sturgeon.
The top three finishers of the 5K and 10K—male and female, across 10 age divisions—each receive a Sturgeon Shuffle ceramic mug created by local artist and Hortonville High School teacher Robert Smith.
“Bob has been creating the Shuffle awards since the very first race nine years ago,” said Brenda Hansen, committee chair. “Participants like the ceramic mugs because they are so different from the awards they receive at other races.”
Scott Bellile file photo
The Sturgeon Shuffle will donate proceeds from this year’s event to non-profit backpack organizations in and around the communities served by First State Bank. These organizations coordinate with schools to provide backpacks of nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to students, so they have enough food to eat on weekends.
In 2018, the Sturgeon Shuffle donated a total of $15,000 to three organizations: Project Backpack in New London; Project Backpack Waupaca, which serves the Waupaca, Manawa, Weyauwega-Fremont, Iola-Scandinavia, and Amherst school districts; and Rapids Family Backpacks, which serves the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools including the community of Rudolph.
Registration for the Sturgeon Shuffle is available online. Participants who register by Monday, April 15, are guaranteed an event T-shirt.
The fee to enter either race is $25 or $15 for participants age 14 and under. A new hooded sweatshirt option is also available in adult sizes only for an entry fee of $40. Registration the day of the race is $5 extra.
For more information, call 920-249-4229, email [email protected], or visit First State Bank’s website.