Brooksie Way Half Marathon and 5K seeks volunteers

The Brooksie Way presented by HealthPlus needs to fill more than 500 volunteer positions for this year's race, which is set for Sept. 30. Volunteers are needed at the start and finish line, at the pre-race Brooksie Way Health and Fitness Expo, on the course manning a water station and a host of other duties. Individuals and groups are encouraged to register online. A complete list of volunteer opportunities and registration can be found at www.TheBrooksieWay.com. "Volunteers are essential to the success of the race," said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. "We understand that not everyone has the time or energy to train for a race like the Brooksie but they still want to get involved. Maybe they have a spouse or a child or a friend who is participating in the race and they want to support them and 6,000 other runners and walkers we expect this year. This is the ideal way to help your family and friends and the community." The Brooksie Way, which celebrates its fifth year, is named in memory of Brooks Stuart Patterson, a young father and the son of the county executive, who died in 2007. Proceeds from the race support The Brooksie Way Minigrant program. The 13.1-mile half marathon course begins and ends at the Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University. It winds through Rochester and Rochester Hills, parts of the Paint Creek Trail and the Clinton River Trail before returning to the campus. The 5k race is contained on the Oakland University campus as is the One Mile Fun Run. A half marathon competitive walk is among the races. There will be entertainment every mile on each course. All half marathon entrants receive a neon orange long-sleeve Brooks technical shirt and finishers also receive a medal designed especially to commemorate the fifth year of the race. Participants in the 5k race receive a t-shirt. Finishers also receive a special medial. A complete list of registration prices and deadlines can be found at www.TheBrooksieWay.com. Questions about volunteering can be sent to Volunteer Coordinator Sue Barnes at barness@TheBrooksieWay.com. Published: Thu, Jul 26, 2012