Snowflake Shuffle to benefit TriCity Family Services

GENEVA - TriCity Family Services is hosting its 10th annual Snowflake Shuffle 5K at 9 a.m. Dec. 1, at Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve, 719 S. Batavia Ave., Geneva, the agency announced in a news release.

Participants are invited to walk or run on the course located along the Fox River trails.

The Snowflake Shuffle is a USATF-certified 5K Walk & Run that raises money and awareness for TriCity Family Services, a 50-year provider of counseling and mental health services for individuals, families and community members.

TriCity Family Services is based in Geneva, but also serves Batavia and St. Charles residents.

For the past 10 years the shuffle, a professionally chip-timed race, has become a winter tradition within the TriCity community and beyond, TriCity spokeswoman Michelle Rollins stated in the release.

“Runners and joggers, parents pushing baby strollers, school groups, companies and families – all are invited to join us,” Rollins stated in the release.

Registration increases is $40 for adults and $30 for children and teens age 6 to 17. The race is free for children 5 and under.

Sign up for the race by visiting snowflakeshuffle.itsyourrace.com. 

Packet pick-up is from 1 to 7 p.m. Nov. 30 atDick Pond Athletics, 303 N. Second St., St. Charles, and on race day.

Snowflake Shuffle 2018 swag includes quarter-zip tech shirt with this year’s logo, custom finisher’s medal and goody bag.

For some – such as David Niekrasz, human resources associate for Wise Plastics Technologies, in St. Charles – the Snowflake Shuffle is about more than just running a race.

“Wise Plastics started supporting the Snowflake Shuffle event three years ago because it is a great team building event that allows us to get involved in our community,” Niekrasz stated in the release.

“For the past two years, we have had more than 80 of our employees participate and won the biggest group award two years in a row,” Niekrasz stated in the release. “We get strong participation because our employees who previously participated had a blast and get excited about doing the race the following year.”

Participants are encouraged to come up with fun or creative holiday-themed names.

As in years past, Scott Mackay from 95.9 The River will serve as emcee and will be joined by Gem Entertainment to provide running music and holiday tunes.

Geneva Fit will lead the crowd in pre-race warm-up exercises.

Holiday carolers and special costumed characters – including Kane County Cougars’ mascot Ozzie Cougar and Santa Claus – will join to help make the 10th anniversary milestone extra festive.

Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns will sound the horn at 9 a.m. to kick off the race.

At the conclusion of the Snowflake Shuffle, cookies and a hot chocolate bar will be available for all participants to partake in heated tents.

An awards program will present prizes given for top male and female for the 5K, as well as kids’ categories.

More information about TriCity Family Services is available by visiting www.tricityfamilyservices.org.