Paul Maxwell is hoping the community will put its best foot forward to support the inaugural Angels Place Race.
The 5K run-walk event takes place Saturday, Sept. 13, and is open to families and individuals of all ages and abilities.
‘We still need runners and walkers,? said Maxwell, an Independence Township resident who organized the event. ‘Serious runners will finish very fast, but the majority will be people who want to jog, or walk the route with family and friends.?
A 5K is 3.1 miles.
Maxwell’along with a core group of volunteers from St. Daniel’s Church’began planning last winter to raise awareness for a cause near and dear to his heart.
In 1992, he explained, his mother was faced with the challenge of finding around-the-clock care for her daughter Mary Anne, who was born with Down Syndrome.
As she looked for help, Margaret Maxwell encountered one roadblock after the next and Mary Anne eventually became a ward of the state.
‘There wasn’t anywhere else for my sister to go,? Maxwell said. ‘We wanted her to have a secure home in a loving environment, but my mother wasn’t able to provide the level of support she needed.?
But Mary Anne’s experience in a state-run home was a less than happy one, for her or her family.
So in 1992, Margaret and four other women founded Angels’ Place, a non-profit organization providing homes and professional support for adults with developmental disabilities.
The group currently operates 14 homes in the tri-county area and provides ‘a Christian family environment of love and compassion coupled with an atmosphere of acceptance, dignity, well-being and the potential for personal growth and independence.?
It was, Maxwell said, a sorely needed resource for developmentally disabled adults.
‘There are quite a few programs for kids,? he said. ‘But those kids get to be adults, and adults with disabilities need services, too.?
Angels’ Place, he explained, provides a broad array of services’recreational and social activities, respite care, medical and dental assistance’not otherwise available, especially with recent state budget cuts.
So when Maxwell decided he wanted to do something to help, he began calling people with experience in race facilitation, as well as those who could lend general support to the endeavor.
‘St. Daniel’s assistance has been very heart-warming,? said Maxwell, noting the race will begin and end near the church on Valley Park Drive.
Marylou Enneking, St. Dan’s Christian Service Coordinator, said the church has a strong volunteer base and members who were glad to help out.
‘It’s a phenomenal group of people who’ve come together to do a fundraiser for this worthwhile cause,? she said. ‘It’s so important to support these kinds of things for a segment of our society that’s often forgotten.?
Enneking said members of the church and the community at large have been overwhelmingly generous with their time and talent.
‘That’s what we’re built on,? she said. ‘Helping one another and being there for one another during times of need.?
With the route planned and support from local police and EMS in place, organizers are just about ready to kick off what they hope will be an annual event.
Trophies will be awarded to the overall winner, as well as top finishers in age and gender categories.
The event will also feature several cars on display from Saturn North in Springfield Township, and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office will exhibit several vehicles, as well.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and recently-retired Clarkston City Manager Art Pappas will serve as starters for the race.
Major sponsors include Easter Seals of Michigan and Smith’s Disposal, but Maxwell and his team will welcome additional sponsors, as well as runners and walkers.
‘Considering the hard economic times, we’ve really had an outpouring of support from the community,? said volunteer Mike McIntyre. ‘But we still need sponsors and participants. We want to make some money. We’re on our way, but we can use all the supporters we can get.?
The Angels? Place Race 5K run/walk for all ages takes place Saturday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m. in Clarkston. Pre-registration $15; $20 at the door. Proceeds benefit Angels? Place, a non-profit organization for developmentally disabled adults.
Register or learn more at www.angelsplacerace.org