By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
Next Sunday, the roads around North Attleborough High School will once again be filled with walkers and runners, and music will fill the air.
The North Attleboro K-12 Music Department is hosting its eighth annual 5K Family Fun on Sunday, May 15. The fundraiser has a different theme each year for the music stations along the route where students perform for those in the race. This year’s will be Tunes n Toons, and different songs from Looney Tunes, Disney, and more will accompany the participants.
The last time the event was held in full was 2019, after which COVID forced a change. Race director and NAHS music teacher Rob Couture said that for the last two years the event was held in a virtual format. People were encouraged to run or walks the distance in their own neighborhoods, and reported their times via running apps. Couture said it was great to have the event back to normal.
“The philosophy of the last couple of years was to maintain what culture we could,” he said. “We knew we’d be rebuilding.”
Some of these 5Ks are qualifiers for larger events, and while this isn’t the case for the North Attleborough race, Couture said plenty of experienced runners take part. Couture said that past races have seen a mix of runners, walkers, and parents pushing strollers.
“This is not a qualifier, but because it is chip timed, it gives each person their own time,” he said.
Couture said there’s a lot that’s new this year, since the only students who remember what the 5K was like were freshman the last time it was held. As a result, there’s a sense of newness to this fundraiser.
“Almost everything we did this year was the first time anyone did this,” sad Couture. “Everything is new again, nothing is boring. It’s all brand new and shining.”
Live music is one of the cornerstones of the event. In addition to the musical stations, the starting point will feature a full band accompanied by Band Director TJ Rizzo. Past years have seen themes of music from the 60s, 80s, and 90s, and Couture said the students are allowed to choose their own pieces and find something that inspires and fits their voices. Couture said he’s partial to “Go The Distance” from the Disney movie “Hercules.”
“This is a huge, exiting the event for all of us,” he said. “It’s not just about running, it’s about bringing music outside to the community.”
The race begins at 10 a.m. and includes a kids race and costume contest at 9:30 a.m. The post-race toon party will be at 10:30 a.m. and a medal ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. More information and registration can be found at NAHSmusic.com, and all proceeds benefit the North Attleboro K-12 Music Department.
