Volunteering Opportunities: Orlando Health Gridiron 5K Challenge

2012 Gridiron 5K Challenge

When Aurora and I volunteered at the Celebrity Mascot Games at the Amway Center, we were introduced to a whole new way to participate in activities in the Orlando Area.

The Central Florida Sports Commission is responsible for a lot of great events around Orlando, and it was a blast spending our day volunteering so we thought we would share any upcoming opportunities with you!

The Inaugural Orlando Health Gridiron 5K Challenge presented by Pizza Hut is a 3.1 mile run/walk that celebrates the heated rivalries that exist in Florida and the beginning of the college football season. Fans of Florida’s major universities and college football fans are invited to sport their team’s gear and participate in day’s worth of activities that will kick off with a 5K around the UCF campus. The race will take place Saturday, August 25 on campus at UCF. Volunteers are needed to help with bag stuffing, registration, timing, and along the course at water stops.

Here are the days/shifts that volunteers are needed:

Race Week – Monday, August 20

– Bag Stuffing from 5-7pm at the CFSC office in downtown Orlando

Race Day @ UCF – Saturday, August 25 

– Pre-race & post-race: arrive at 5am

Volunteers will help with set-up, registration, packet pickup, and the post-race tailgate party.

– Water stops: arrive at 6:30am

Volunteers will hand out water/Gatorade as runners pass.

– Finish line: arrive at 7am

Volunteers will help with timing and awards.

 

All volunteers will receive free parking, event t-shirt, and coffee/donuts. If interested in helping please respond to this email with your preferred day/shift.

If you’re interested in volunteering at the Inaugural Orlando Health Gridiron 5K Challenge presented by Pizza Hut, please contact Georgianna Brown (gbrown@centralfloridasports.org).

However if you are interested in running the Inaugural Orlando Health Gridiron 5K Challenge presented by Pizza Hut, there is still time and you can check out the course and register for the race here.

Follow us for more updates: Facebooktwitteryoutubetumblrinstagram

*** SPOILER FREE *** Review of The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Having seen The Odd Life of Timothy Green just a few days ago, I’ve been trying to put my finger on the pulse of the movie.  There is so much wrapped into this compact, sweet, lovable, and quirky movie that I don’t feel that simple labels like “comedy” or “drama” are enough, though it clearly has elements of both.  What shines through most in this movie though is its tremendous heart.  There are in this movie no good guys, and no bad guys – there are just people behaving like… people, and yet their lives are all simply transformed by Timothy.

The story was conceived by Ahmet Zappa son of the singer, songwriter, and musician Frank Zappa.  For Disney to put this out under their own brand rather than one of their subsidiaries says a lot about their trust for the material and Zappa.  This trust goes back a few yeas to the creation of Kingdom Comics in 2008 which included a multi-year contract to create new films and rejuvenate old live-action Disney films by first releasing them in graphic novel form.  This is the first new film to be released through this venture.

You are going to cry at this movie.  There is no doubt.  Some of those tears will be from laughing, some will be from sorrow.  But many will come from that place you enter when you let yourself go in the magic of a moment and realize how amazing the world would be if things always could just work this way.  To be able to put our wishes, our hopes and our dreams into a box and have them come true… even if only for a short while.

Those who love the art of storytelling will almost immediately pick up on the O. Henry styling of the story.  There is a twist to the tale, it’s not hidden – the trailers for the movie already give it away.  But the twist is designed to deliver a message and that’s what’s important.  Life is fleeting.  We are here for a moment, and then we’re gone.  But it’s what we do with that moment.  The way in which the lives of those whose lives intertwine with our own are affected by that which we do and the choices that we make.  In the end, this is what matters – so make them count.

The moments of impact Timothy gets to make, are not ones that are chosen for him.  But when they come he accepts them and embraces them all.  Makes the best of the moment for good or for ill.  And with that he transforms the lives of those around him in a way that has no other description than magic.  But it’s not in your face magic.  No, rather it’s the sort of subtle magic that is administered by Mary Poppins or comes riding in on a tornado from Oz.  Right down to magical storms and whimsical winds.

Despite being a family movie, I can’t say that this movie is for everyone.  Some of the themes that run through this are deep and may require explanation to your children.  The emotions in this movie are strong – it could be as much as a two box movie depending on the viewer.   And many people like to avoid that sort of thing.  This movie is also not without its flaws, but at the same time few are worth nitpicking. However, if you can be accepting of a little magic running its course, then I highly recommend seeing this movie.

As much as I’d like to give a star rating for this movie now, you will have to wait until August 27th when I release Episode 86 of the Disney Film Project Podcast for that and a more thorough review.

Follow us for more updates: Facebooktwitteryoutubetumblrinstagram