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Dolphin Dash starts with a bang

Dolphin Dash starts with a bang

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Community News, Schools.

Tess Bolognone, June Moore and Lexi Bauer sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the start of Saturday’s 15th Annual Dolphin Dash. – Scott Moore | Submitted

HOLMES BEACH – The 15th Annual Dolphin Dash 5K and 1-mile fun run on Feb. 19 drew 153 participants from ages 8 to 82 to raise funds for the Anna Maria Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization.

Officiated by the Bradenton Runners Club and co-chaired by Alana Fleischer and Kelly Gitt, the run began and ended at AME.

Funds raised during prior runs have provided improvements such as a new stage in the auditorium for school plays, overhead projectors in the classrooms, new cafe tables for the lunchroom, new benches in the pickup line and expansion of the estuary behind the school.

Winners

Top male finisher, overall                                Connor Kreger, 17, St. Clair, Michigan

Top female finisher, overall                             Anna Neal, 33, Durham, North Carolina

Top male finisher, masters                              Scott Akker, 41, Norton Shores, Michigan

Top female finisher, masters                           Wendi Hudson, 50, Apollo Beach, Florida

Top male finisher, grandmasters                     JD Pepper, 58, Dansville, Michigan

Top female finisher, grandmasters                   Penny Tisko, 53, Voorheesville, New York

Top male finisher, senior grandmasters            Chuck Block, 65, Dewitt, Michigan

Top female finisher, senior grandmasters         Sandy Meneley, 74, Holmes Beach, Florida

Top male finisher, veteran grandmasters          Frank Davis, 77, Rock Falls, Illinois

Top female finisher, veteran grandmasters       Dianne Schultz, 70, Postville, Iowa

Male 9 and under, first place                           C. Bess, 8, Lithia, Florida

Male 10-12, first place                                    B. Gartman, 11, Holmes Beach, Florida

Male 13-15, first place                                    Ethan Kreger, St. Clair, Michigan

Male 16-19, first place                                    Zackary Baker, 18, Bradenton, Florida

Male 20-24, first place                                    Matthew Schultheis, 24, Riverview, Florida

Male 25-29, first place                                    Travis Belsito, 26, Bradenton, Florida

Male 30-34, first place                                    Max Spiegel, 33, Sarasota, Florida

Male 35-39, first place                                    Wesley Weed, 37, Sarasota, Florida

Male 40-44, first place                                    Steve Grimes, 42, Park Ridge, Illinois

Male 45-49, first place                                    Brett McQuade, 49, Terra Ceia, Florida

Male 50-54, first place                                    Scott Leland, 54, Bradenton, Florida

Male 55-59, first place                                    Walter Szeezil, 58, Terra Ceia, Florida

Male 60-64, first place                                    Bob Nelson, 64, Bradenton, Florida

Male 65-69, first place                                    Dennis Schultz, 69, Bradenton, Florida

Male 70-74, first place                                    Gene Fergione, 70, Bradenton, Florida

Male 75-79, first place                                    Robert Lathrop, 79, Bradenton, Florida

Male 80 and over, first place                           Frank Nicolosi, 81, Bradenton, Florida

Female 9 and under, first place                        T. King, 8, Cortez, Florida

Female 10-12, first place                                S. Coba, 12, Bradenton Beach, Florida

Female 13-15, first place                                Angelina Albrecht, 15, Bradenton, Florida

Female 20-24, first place                                Krista Lyons, 22, Sarasota, Florida

Female 25-29, first place                                Peyton Stipes, 28, Sun City Center, Florida

Female 30-34, first place                                Lindsey Styka, 33, Bradenton, Florida

Female 35-39, first place                                Tatjana Stojkovic, 36, Seffner, Florida

Female 40-44, first place                                Yvonne Boyer, 43, Wentzville, Missouri

Female 45-49, first place                                Jessica holiday, 47, Holmes Beach, Florida

Female 50-54, first place                                Sara Sugarman, 50, North York, Ontario

Female 55-59, first place                                Shirley Arendt, 56, Ruskin, Florida

Female 60-64, first place                                Kim Gorman, 63, USA

Female 65-69, first place                                Ellen Jaffe Jones, 69, Sarasota, Florida

Female 70-74, first place                                Cheryl Hess, 71, Bradenton, Florida

Female 75-79, first place                                Josephine Nicolosi, 77, Bradenton, Florida

Female 80 and over, first place                        Esther Van Duzee, 81, Bradenton, Florida

Dolphin Dash

Dolphin Dash draws 200-plus runners

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Running, Sports.

HOLMES BEACH – The 13th Annual Dolphin Dash today was a success, thanks in part to weather that was cool enough for the runners, but not too cold.

Organizer Kelly Gitt of the Anna Maria Elementary (AME) School PTO said more than 200 runners participated in the 5K competition, sanctioned and timed by the Bradenton Runners Club, and the one-mile “fun run” for youngsters.

This year a number of runners for the 5K race were children, many of them from Anna Maria Elementary School. One AME alumnus, Trina Rizzo, was competing for the first time. She’s a college graduate headed for a career in law.

Ellen Jaffee Jones, a former columnist for The Sun, said she has run the Dolphin Dash many times and enjoys it because it “Never changes. I love it because it’s a block from the beach and there are so many kids running,” she said. “I like to be around children.”

The fastest male was Corey Peryark, a board member of the Bradenton Runners Club who came in first by quite a margin.

The fastest woman was Wendy Hudson of Apollo Beach. She said she ran the race because she used to live on the Island.

Seven-year-old Ezra Goble ran the 5K and finished and some kindergartners ran the one-mile run.

It was all in fun, and designed to encourage the kids to make running a part of their lives.

Becky Walter

Runner mom inspires kids to dash

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Community News, Schools.

HOLMES BEACH – When the runners take their places for the 13th Annual Dolphin Dash 5K race on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 8:30 a.m, they’ll have a persistent and loving mom to thank.

Rebecca “Becky” Walter joined the Anna Maria Elementary School PTO when her twin daughters were in kindergarten and her sons in second and third grades. She volunteered and sometimes substituted as she was a certified teacher. While at the school, she made a disturbing observation.

“I noticed most of the kids weren’t wearing sneakers or laced up sneakers, even though they had PE every day,” she said. “I heard a lot of kids talking about video games and noticed a lot of these kids were spending a lot of time inside.Dolphin Dash

“I started running right after my kids were born,” she said. “It is so great – basically free and you can do it anywhere.”

When she was at a PTO meeting, they discussed fundraisers and she suggested a 5K.

“Everyone was completely on board,” she said. “The principal said ‘yes,’ and I had a ton of support and volunteers.

“Ellen Harte and Else Hellem-Brusso helped a bunch with early days organization and figuring out how to even start,” she said. “We contacted the Bradenton Runners Club and met with them. We mapped out a course and the police said they’d help out. We started securing sponsors and donations and support.”

Walter started a Runners Club at the school.

“Two mornings per week, a ton of kids would show up early to run laps in the back of school,” she said. “We printed training cards and after the kids trained at school and at home for a certain number of miles, they earned Dolphin Dash shoelaces.

“I held a T-shirt contest at the school and ordered shirts. We had goodie bags and things to put in them.”

That first year, they didn’t have online registration, so people had to mail in entries or drop them at school. And they did.

“We decided to keep entry cheap for kids 18 and under and to have awards go five deep in age levels,” she said. “We decided to also do a one-mile fun run at the end of the race.”

Art and music teacher Gary Wooten supplied the music.

“To this day, every time I hear ‘Beautiful Day,’ by U2, I think about the Dolphin Dash,” she said. “Rainia Lardas would stay over every night before the race to help with last minute details.

“On race day all these people showed up a super early time to stand on the race course, hand out goodie bags, clap for finishers. The custodians and principal would show up early and open the school. Maggie Cucci always showed up to help. Jerry Kern woke up and drove the guy around on his golf cart to set out cones. It was a beautiful day.”

Interest in the Dolphin Dash grows

“Every year it kept getting bigger and more people came out to run,” Walter said. “The kids all have such a sense of pride as they finish – it is really a great lesson in setting and achieving goals and a chance to experience self worth.

“I loved hearing people talk about training. We had a guy run the race after a kidney transplant. One year, a mom and her teenage son came in dead last, beaming. Her son had received a new heart that year and I remember her saying that she didn’t care how long it took them to finish, she was so thankful to be there with her son.

“I love seeing Dolphin Dash shirts around town and hearing people say that the Dolphin Dash is a great run to start the year.

“I am so proud how we all came together and organized this cool event. My kids are still runners. I see a lot of kids from the early Dolphin Dash days who still run. It is kind of a lifelong gift, to learn the benefits of running early and to learn how to do it and that it can be fun.”

To sign up, go to runnergirl.com. Call Kelly Gitt at 941-357-4488 to become a sponsor or volunteer.

Dolphin Dash returns to AME

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Entertainment, Family fun.

HOLMES BEACH – The Dolphin Dash begins on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 8 a.m. at Anna Maria Elementary School (AME), 4700 Gulf Drive, with a 5K run timed and sanctioned by the Bradenton Runners Club.

The runners go through residential neighborhoods with traffic control by the Holmes Beach Police Department.

Afterward, there’s a one-mile “fun run” where all the runners are acknowledged. Proceeds from the Dash go to the AME PTO.

Physical education teacher Terri Ruise trains some of the students at school for the Dash and fun run, with help from art teacher Gary Wooten.

The race is open to all ages and awards go to male and female finishers as well as the top three finishers in each age group. Ten awards are given in the 9 and under age group to encourage and reward the kids who participate.

Kelly Gitt is the coordinator for the PTO and she had praise for the support from the Bradenton Runners Club.

“They’ve been super supportive in getting permits and the police protection,” she said. “They have also been a big help in getting the medals.”

Gitt said she would like to find a sponsor who could provide snacks and liquid refreshments for the runners.

She said participants can sign up at the school and at the Bradenton Runners Club on Facebook.

“The cost is $35 per person or there is a group discount for 20 or more, to encourage runners from other schools,” she said.

Call Gitt at 941-357-4488 to become a sponsor or volunteer.

Dolphin Dash

Runners hit the streets for Dolphin Dash

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Schools.

Updated Jan. 23, 2018

HOLMES BEACH – The weather was changing Saturday morning. A cold front was on its way, but the cold winds came later, and the 2018 Dolphin Dash runners enjoyed near-perfect weather.

The 5K run came first with more adults than children. The event, which was held at Anna Maria Elementary School with the running course along side streets in Holmes Beach, was sanctioned by the Bradenton Runners Club.

The  overall male winner was Mark Carver, from Nashville, Tenn., and the female winner was Jennifer Rowley.

Dolphin Dash winners
Mark Carver, right, with his first place overall trophies. – Tom Vaught | Sun

Full results

The second race, the one-mile Fun Run, has more kids with students from all around the area, including students at AME, who trained before school.

Dolphin Dash
The one-mile Fun Run starts with mostly youngsters, including Anna Maria Elementary students. – Tom Vaught | Sun

The event benefits the Anna Maria Elementary PTO.

Dolphin Dash
Hannah and Eva Kaleta got a tour of the race in a buggy their mother pushed. – Tom Vaught | Sun