Rockdale Citizen

Every year, the Aubrae Gunderson Memorial 5K Walk & Run recognizes the elementary school with the most participants. Brad Smith, left, accepts a check for $100 from Dan Gunderson of the Aubrae Gunderson Financial Assistance Foundation in recognition of Lorraine Elementary School for having the most participants in the 2010 race. This year's race will be held this Saturday at Heritage High School. Race day registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Special Photo.

Gunderson 5K set for Saturday

CONYERS -- Runners will be able to test themselves while helping local students with college expenses Saturday at the seventh annual Aubrae Gunderson Memorial Scholarship 5K Walk and Run.

Registration will be open for the day of the run starting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 26. Along with the 5K run that starts at 9 a.m., participants can walk the course, enter the 1-mile fun race at 8:45 a.m. or enter the high heel hustle at 10:30 a.m. -- a 40-yard sprint in heels at least 3 inches that is open to male and female runners 14 years old and older.

New this year is a preregistration packet pick up event to be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Longhorn Steakhouse in Conyers.

The course for the 5K race starts at Heritage High School and traverses through the nearby Lochinver neighborhood. The race finishes the final quarter mile around the track at Evans Memorial Stadium at Heritage.

The race is named for Aubrae Gunderson. She was 15 years old and a sophomore at Heritage when she was struck and killed by an automobile while practicing with her cross country team on Sept. 26, 2005.

Proceeds from the 5K race benefit the Aubrae Gunderson Memorial Scholarship Fund ,which awards a $1,250 scholarship to a male and female student athlete at Heritage, and a $1,000 scholarship each to a student athlete at Rockdale County and Salem high schools.

Aubrae's father, Dan Gunderson, said plans are in place to add an at-large scholarship this year that will focus on cross country teams.

Gunderson expected a near record field this year approaching 600 participants based on the number who have preregistered for the 5K race and 1-mile fun run.

He said people come to him to say it is great to be able to do something positive after Aubrae's death. But Gunderson said it's really the support of the local community that makes the race a success each year and enable him to expand the scholarship awards.

Gunderson told the story of someone who was opening a shoe store and asked to be a sponsor at this year's race. Later, Gunderson's wife, Eileen, recognized the man's name and that his children did gymnastics with Aubrae and her younger sister Arielle.

"It's interesting how people like that continue to come forward and want to be a part of her memory," he said. "The only reason we're able to think about an at-large (scholarship) is that we continue to get that kind of support from the community. It's awesome.

For more information, call 770-918-8852, or visit www.aubraegunderson.com.