CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County Public Health Department, in partnership with the Youth Bureau, will offer a Groundhog Day 5K(ish) event at participating local schools on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 9-10:30 a.m.  

Three schools hosting this event are Heuvelton Central, Colton-Pierrepont Central, and Madrid-Waddington Central.  

“Our organizations recognize that winter in the North Country is long and it can be easy to get stuck on the couch hiding from the cold. It is our goal to get community members up and moving, even if only for one day,” said Jena Sloan, Public Health Specialist.

Walking loops will be mapped out in each school for participants to walk or run at their own pace. Individuals can choose how many laps they complete. For some, it could be a 5k, for others it could be a quarter mile or less.

Participants are encouraged to show their school spirit by wearing their school colors or consider wearing Groundhog Day themed attire.  

In lieu of paying a registration fee, attendees are asked to bring one canned or pantry item to donate to the school’s food pantry.

Contact the Youth Bureau by emailing Alexa Chase at AChase@stlawco.gov or calling 315.379.9464 with any questions.  Other schools are encouraged to participate and may contact us for information. The school with the highest amount of participation will receive an honorary trophy and featured in a press release.