Deadline extended to apply for Brooksie Way minigrant

Groups promoting health and wellness activities in Oakland County have a little extra time to apply for a Brooksie Way Minigrant. The deadline, which was Aug. 1, is extended until Aug. 10 to give groups additional time to apply for a grant of up to $2,000 from the Brooksie Way Foundation. The grants support health or wellness activities in Oakland County. In two years, the foundation has awarded nearly $73,000 in minigrants to 70 organizations for support of various projects. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson created The Brooksie Way Minigrant program to use proceeds from The Brooksie Way Half Marathon and 5k to promote healthy, active lifestyles for Oakland County residents. Minigrants are awarded three times a year. The maximum award is $2,000. Grant guidelines and applications are available on The Brooksie Way website, www.thebrooksieway.com, and are reviewed three times a year - April 1, Aug. 1 and Dec. 1. Support from HealthPlus of Michigan helps make the minigrant program possible. "The extra time might help some local charities apply and put some money back into the communities of Oakland County," Patterson said. The Brooksie Way is an annual race named in honor of Brooks Stuart Patterson, a young father and son of the county executive, who died after an accident in 2007. The 2012 race is set for Sept. 30. The Brooksie Way Half Marathon begins and ends at the Meadow Brook Music Festival. It winds through the streets of Rochester and Rochester Hills and includes parts of the Paint Creek Trail and the Clinton River Trail. The 5k race is contained on the Oakland University campus. This year marks the fifth year of the race. Early entries are 20 percent above the record pace set in 2011 when about 5,000 runners and walkers participated. The Brooksie Way Fitness Expo is set for Sept. 28-29 at the Oakland University Recreation Center. Information about the expo is at www.thebrooksieway.com. Published: Thu, Aug 2, 2012