More than 400 contestants and over 100 volunteers make Gauntlet Mud Run a huge success.
GREENVILLE – The Light Foundation hosted the 8th annual Gauntlet Mud Run at Chenoweth Trails with more than 400 entrants in attendance along with over 100 volunteers.
“This race would not be possible without our incredible staff. There is a lot of hard work that goes into an event like this and they all help make it possible. Our Grounds and Maintenance team who has worked hard on assembling the obstacles while building a 40-ft bridge with our Timber Frame Leadership Camp. The rest of the Ohio team – April, Brandi, and Brandon – have been working on behind the scenes details and believe me, there’s a lot of those!” said Matt Light, Co-Founder of the Light Foundation.
Perfect weather greeted the contestants and volunteers on the July Saturday in Darke County.
“The weather couldn’t have been better for this fundraising event” says April Brubaker, Program Director of the Light Foundation. “We heard comments all day on how perfect it was – slight overcast, high of 77 degrees, and we were even blessed with a little breeze.”
The “mud run” course ran past the recently constructed tree house and over the just completed covered bridge.
“Our 8th annual Gauntlet Mud Run goes down in history because for the first time the course ran past not one, but two of our newly built timber frame structures,” Light stated. “The course ran past the tree house that we built during our 2019 programs including Timber Frame Leadership Camp and Camp Vohokase. It also ran past this year’s Camp project – the covered bridge, which was literally raised ten days before this event.”
Food was served by Knights of Columbus and Kettle Colonel and the Kids Zone was hosted by Greenville City Schools Careers with Children.
“The kids race was a hit,” said Brubaker. “It gets bigger and better each year, which we enjoy because we believe these young people need opportunities to get outdoors and be active.”
“We greatly appreciate our sponsors,” said Brandi Spille, Assistant at the Light Foundation. They are all recurring sponsors, so they believe in our mission and the unique way we take to teach young people what it means to be R.E.A.L. – Responsible, Ethical, Accountable, and Leaders.”
“This is a great opportunity to invest in the future of our communities and the next generation and you get to have fun while doing it.”
“We greatly appreciate our sponsors,” Spille continued. “They are all recurring sponsors, so they believe in our mission and the unique way we take to teach young people what it means to be R.E.A.L. – Responsible, Ethical, Accountable, and Leaders.”
“This is a great opportunity to invest in the future of our communities and the next generation. And you get to have fun while doing it,” Spille concluded.
Sponsors: Greenville Moose Lodge, American Legion Post 140, Greenville National Bank, Spirit Medical Transport, Williamson Insurance, VPP, Jafe Decorating, Maid Rite Sandwich Shoppe, Dick Lavy Trucking, Dave Knapp Ford Lincoln, Greenville Elks, McBo’s Lanes, Park National Bank, Hittle Buick GMC, Prosperity Promotions, Doss Business Systems, Whitewater Eye Centers, Newbauer Family, and the Coffee Pot.
Volunteer Groups: Greenville City Schools Careers with Children, Mississinawa-Valley Schools & Athletics, Boy Scout Troop 343, Knights of Columbus, and the Dylan Williams Foundation.
Also a special shout out to Amy Schoen of Greenville City Schools, Kim Customborder of Prosperity Promotions, Rachel Neal, Dennis & Micah Light, Marilyn Light, Newbauer Family, Mindy Burgett, Gaylen Blosser, Dale Musser, and Daren Hiatt for their help during this annual event.
2021 Gauntlet rankings may be viewed on the Light Foundation Facebook Page.
Registration for the 2022 race opens in December 2021.
