On Labor Day, September 6, 2010, Mercy Children’s Clinic in Franklin, TN held the 32nd annual Franklin Classic, with proceeds from the fundraiser benefiting their clinical services. Mercy Clinic is a “comprehensive pediatric healthcare facility that serves thousands of children from 32 counties”, according to Event Director Jessica Perry. The clinic has been operating in the Franklin Community since 1999 and, as a non-profit organization, relies on fundraising events, such as the Franklin Classic, to keep its facilities open.
Events at the Franklin Classic included a 5k run, a 10k run, a 4k family walk, and a 1k children’s run. The 5k race winner was Donald Bowman, with a total time of 17:28. Jacob Carrigan placed second with a time of 17:45, and David Scott came in a close third at 17:55. In the 10k race, Scott Wietecha finished first with a time of 32:12. Additionally, there were activities for children in the KidZone, and Scat Springs performed live at the Classic.
The Franklin Classic is Mercy Clinic’s “largest fundraising effort… With an annual budget of nearly $3 million, 50% of which is raised through sponsors and donations, we're hoping to raise $100,000 through this year’s event”, according to the Franklin Classic event guide. Official figures will not be out for a few weeks. The number of race runners and walkers totaled over 3,000 and Perry estimates there were an additional 3,000-5,000 spectators at the event Monday morning.
Darrell Waltrip Automotive helped the clinic by donating $20 per test drive during the two registration days September 3-4. The test drives took race participants and volunteers around a short route, and were met with much enthusiasm. Darrell Waltrip Automotive donated over $2,000 to Mercy Clinic from the two days of test drives. In total, Darrell Waltrip Automotive donated $12,000 to benefit Mercy Clinic through sponsorships and other miscellaneous donations, including a $500 cash prize to the school that put together the largest team for the Franklin Classic.
Check out our photo collage on our website!
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