The Hartselle Kiwanis Club will host their sixth annual Half Marathon September 15. The event will take place at the Quail Creek Golf Resort, and will raise funds for Hartselle area youth for the year.

Mike Swafford is the president of Hartselle Kiwanis Club, and said the event was created to bring a fresh event for fundraising. “Traditionally it was the pancake day. Like most other fundraisers, other people began doing them too, so we started the half marathon,” Swafford said.

This year, the event has 180 runners registered, and they are prepared to host up to 300. Registration for the event will be open until September 10. Registration for the event is $55 and can be found on the Hartselle Kiwanis Club website and Facebook page.

Swafford said the event brings people from all over to the area, and that in the past even hosted a man from India. The event mainly attracts those from neighboring states, as well as those interested in attending Depot Days. Although there is not a direct affiliation, Swafford said the two events help drive people to the each other. “We definitely benefit off of each other,” he said.

Kiwanis Club uses the funds throughout the year for a variety of projects that mainly focus on local youth. The club donates gift cards to area schools to help supply items for students in need. The funds also help support local organizations such as Shining Stars and Hartselle cheerleaders. In addition the funds help host events like the annual Christmas parade and scholarships for area seniors. “We use the funds in a lot of areas, but the main theme is children,” Swafford said.

Swafford said that one of the enjoyable things of the event is to see the groups they have supported throughout the year coming back to support them. Many of the organizations volunteer to man water stations and hand out the awards during the event. “It is cool for us to see the people we help coming back to help us,” Swafford said.