FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DCC HOSTS VIRGINIA BANK & TRUST

RUNNING & FITNESS FESTIVAL

DANVILLE, VA, Sept.6, 2005 – The Virginia Bank & Trust Running & Fitness Festival, sponsored by Danville Community College, will be held Saturday, Sept. 10, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The festival includes a series of events such as the Danville Half-Marathon, River City 5k Run, One-Mile Adult Run, One-Mile Walk, and a Half-Mile Children’s Run. All of the events with the exception of the River City 5K will begins at DCC. The 5K event begins at the Crossing at the Dan.

            The Danville Half-Marathon event honors Joe Carr, who recently retired from DCC after more than 30 years as a dedicated professor of health and fitness. In addition, more than $1,150 will be available for the prize purse. Proceeds from the Fitness Festival will benefit DCC’s proposed Student Center and area high school cross country runners.

The schedule of events and locations are as follows:

• 8:30 a.m.-The Danville Half-Marathon Location: Race begins at DCC and ends at Crossing at the Dan

• 9:00 a.m. - The 25th Annual River City 5k. Location: Crossing at the Dan (Carrington Pavilion)

• 9:40 a.m. - Half-Marathon runners finish the race. Location: Crossing at the Dan

• 10:00 a.m. - Food and beverages available for participants of all events. Location: DCC

• 10:30 a.m. - Half-Mile children’s run. Location: DCC

• 10:45 a.m. - One-mile Adult Competitive Run & One-Mile walk on DCC campus. The first 10 male and female runners and walkers will receive awards. Location: DCC

• 11:00 a.m. – River City 5k Awards Presentation Location: DCC

• 11 a.m. -12:30 p.m. - Pizza lunch will be available (free for participants and volunteers) Location: DCC

• 11:15 a.m. - Cornerstone laying ceremony by the DCC Student Government Association for the new Student Center. This event reflects DCC’s commitment to wellness and announces the kick off of the capital campaign to fund construction of the new facility. Location: DCC

• 11:30 a.m. - Half-Marathon awards ceremony. Location: DCC

In addition to the $1,150 prize purse, there will be other prizes for the top finishers in the various events, as well as unique age group awards and innovative finishers’ medals for all who participate in the Half-Marathon. Packets for registration are available at DCC’s Wyatt Building. Friday, Sept. 9 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. or packets will be available on Sept. 10, from 7 a.m.-8:45 a.m. at the Pepsi Building (Crossing at the Dan). A webcast, featuring streaming video of the runners’ finish in the Half-Marathon will be available on line. Go to rtechy.com.

The sponsors and partners of the Running & Fitness Festival, include:

Overall Event Sponsor

• Virginia Bank & Trust

Gold corporate sponsors

• B. Carlyle Ramsey

• Danville Regional Medical Center

• Halifax Regional Hospital

Silver corporate sponsors

• Abercrombie Oil

• Courtyard by Marriott/Daly Seven, Inc.

• Danville Parks & Recreation

Other event supporters

• Chatham Shirts

• Danville Running & Fitness Club

• Danville Bottled Water Service

• Dan Valley Foods, Inc.

• Dr. Harry Kolendrianos

• ERA-Holley & Lewis Realty Co., Inc.

• Karen's Hallmark

• Kelly Rentals

• Pepsi

• Sheetz

• Stratford Inn & Conference Center

• Wilkins & Co. Realtors

            The festival is a USA Track & Field Certified and Sanctioned Event. For more information about the race or events, contact Vince Decker, Associate Professor of Business Management at 434.797.8470; John Wilt, Assistant Professor of Administration of Justice, at  434.797.8468; or Martha Walker, Director of Institutional Advancement, 434.797.8495.