Hartselle Junior High School’s IMPACT program will be hosting their first annual Jennifer Burks Memorial 5k and one-mile fun run Sat., May 9.

IMPACT encourages students and the community to get active through their cycling classes, desk to 5k program and more. All proceeds from the run will go towards scholarships to help IMPACT students register for other 5ks.

HJHS physical education teacher Shane Alexander sponsors the IMPACT program.

“We realized that Hartselle needs more 5ks, and we thought it would be great to hold one in memory of our late teacher Mrs. Jennifer Burks, who we lost to cancer last year,” Alexander said. “She was an avid runner, and this is a way for the students to show their love for her to her family. After talking with her family, they agreed it was a way to show our respect for her and get the community moving at the same time.”

Burks’ husband Kevin said the whole experience has been humbling.

Crestline kindergarten teacher Melissa Ward is encouraging her entire class to participate in the one-mile fun run and support their classmate, Burks’ daughter.

Late registration and packet pick-up will be Fri., May 8, from 4-7 p.m. at the Pettey Center on the HJHS campus and Sat., May 9, from 6:45-7:30 a.m. Early registration is $20 for the 5k and $10 for the fun run. Late registration is $5 extra. T-shirts are guaranteed to early registrants, and will be given on a first-come, first-served basis to late registrants.

Awards will be given to the overall top three male and female finishers as well as the top three finishers in each of the 15 age division. The awards and door prizes will be announced at 9:30 a.m.

“Our family is very honored that IMPACT would want to hold something like this in her honor,” Kevin said. “It’s a very humbling experience, and we are completely in awe. Our family plans to participate, attend and help out as much as we can. We never expected anything like this, and we want to support it in any way.”

Alexander said this run is more about the participation than the amount of money it raises.

“We are really just trying to get the kids, their families and the whole community active,” Alexander said. “We want to show Jennifer’s family what she meant to the school and getting to raise a little money for those who need help registering for 5ks is a win-win.”

Over 100 participants have already signed up, and Alexander said he expects more to register during their late registration period.