If you’ve ever thought, “I’d like to go for a run with a nun,” Oct. 3 could be your day.
The Franciscan Life Process Center is inviting the community to lace up for its 12th annual Franciscan Rhythms 5K Trail Run & Walk, a fundraiser supporting the Center’s music therapy program and land restoration efforts.
The all-ages, all-fitness-level event will take runners and walkers through the Franciscan Life Process Center’s 230-acre Lowell campus at 11650 Downes St. NE. Along the route, participants will see the Center’s land restoration work and hear performances from music therapy students and local musicians.
And yes, there will be nuns.
Participants will have an opportunity to connect with the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, a community of religious women founded in 1972. The sisters live on and care for the Center’s Lowell campus.
The Franciscan Life Process Center was founded by the sisters in 1972 and has since worked to support the education, healthy development and cultural enrichment of individuals and communities throughout West Michigan. The Center has campuses in Lowell and Grand Rapids and focuses on helping people unlock their fullest potential as they journey through the process of life.
“Music and time outdoors can offer comfort, joy and connection during difficult seasons of life,” Center Director Sandy Koteskey said. “By participating in the Franciscan Rhythms 5K Trail Run & Walk, community members help us continue providing those meaningful experiences to individuals and families while caring for the land that welcomes them.”
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by a short fun run for children at 9 a.m. The 5K starts at 9:15 a.m.
There’s also a particularly sweet incentive waiting at the finish line: All race participants will receive fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls made by the sisters. New this year, the top three overall race participants will receive medals during an awards ceremony after the race.
The event’s fundraising goal is $40,000. Proceeds will support the music therapy scholarship fund, which helps cover the cost of services for families and individuals whose care is rarely covered by medical insurance. Funds will also support restorative land projects, including invasive-species removal and care for the Center’s pollinator honeybees and farmland.
The sisters have a long history with music therapy in West Michigan. The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist pioneered the practice locally in 1978, before music therapy was widely recognized as a therapeutic method. Today, the Franciscan Life Process Center provides music therapy at its Lowell and Grand Rapids campuses and in various community settings through board-certified music therapists. Approximately 300 clients are served each week, along with 15 community contracts.
Race registration costs $35 and can be completed online until noon on Friday, Oct. 2. Participants are encouraged to register by Sept. 16 to guarantee a race T-shirt. Same-day registration will be available on-site from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. for $40.
Can’t make it to Lowell? A virtual race option is available for people who want to run or walk the route at another time while supporting the cause. Those who would like to participate in the virtual race also need to register online.
For more information and registration details, visit LifeProcessCenter.org.
