GAINESVILLE, TX – Hundreds of runners braved the cold and rain on Oct. 28 to help raise money for the North Texas Medical Center Foundation.
The 26th annual NTMC Halloween Hustle 5K/10K set an event record with 508 registered runners aging in range from 3 to 72. A cold front that also included heavy rain in North Texas kept some of the runners away on race day, but 260 did show up to run or walk the course.
“It was exciting for us to set a new record. This is the second year in a row we have had a record number of registrants,” said NTMC Foundation Executive Director Darin Allred. “While we wish all 508 could have been with us on race day, it was amazing to see how many came to run in the rain. For many, it was because they are committed runners, but for others it was just because they know how fun this event is and they wanted to do whatever they could to support the NTMC Foundation.”
Medals were handed out to the top three finishers in each age division for both males and females. Special honors were given to the top overall finishers. In the 5K race, Callisburg High School senior Tehya Lang was the top female finisher with a time of 19:18.63. For the males, Gainesville High School sophomore Zack Rigsby took top honors with a time of 17:51.72.
In the 10K division, two Callisburg High School students were the top finishers. Mia Oliveira was the female overall winner with a time of 47:12.90, and Cash Buckaloo was the male overall winners with a time of 42:02.55.
Complete results can be found at www.ntmcfoundation.org.
In addition to a Halloween costume contest, special awards were presented to the school and business with the most entries. Lindsay ISD won the school award with 58 participants. Callisburg ISD was second with 51. Other schools participating included Gainesville ISD, Era ISD and Valley View ISD.
Safran Seats US won the award for largest business team with 68 entries. Other businesses with multiple entries included North Texas Medical Center, First State Bank, Cub Scout Pack 143, 4U Credit Union, First United Bank, Hess and Rohmer PC, Jazzercise, and Pecan Tree Rehabilitation and Health.
This year marked the 26th running of the Halloween Hustle which was started in 1990s to benefit what was then the Gainesville Memorial Hospital Foundation. Since then, more than $300,000 has been raised through this event for the Foundation, which in turn uses the money to purchase equipment for the hospital. Proceeds from this year’s event will go to help pay for a $1.2 million Cardiac CT machine for the NTMC Imaging Department.
“We really do appreciate the support of all the participants and the event sponsors, as well as the volunteers,” Allred said. “The Halloween Hustle wouldn’t be possible without them.”
Sponsors of this year’s race included Safran Seats US, 4U Credit Union, Auto Body Concepts, Chicken Express, Dermatology and Skin Cancer Surgery Center, Enderby Gas, Family First Care, First State Bank, First United Bank, Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Gainesville Daily Register, Gainesville Economic Development Corporation, Heart to Heart Hospice, Hess and Rohmer PC, In Memory of Dr. Norman T. and Carolyn Tompkins, Jazzercise, Jim Goldsworthy State Farm Insurance, Joe Walter Lumber Company, Morrison Healthcare, Muenster State Bank, Nortex Communications, North Central Texas College, NTMC Auxiliary, Pecan Tree Rehabilitation and Health, PenTex Energy, Renaissance Care Center, Sears Medical Associates, The Real Estate Company, The Weekly News of Cooke County, Tierra Real Estate, Trident Process Systems and York Eye Associates.
Volunteer groups included the NTMC Auxiliary, Gainesville Kiwanis Club, Gainesville High School HOSA, and Callisburg High School Honor Society.
The next major fundraiser for the NTMC Foundation will be the 2nd Annual NTMC Dancing With Our Stars set for Feb. 23, 2024 in Lindsay. The 27th NTMC Halloween Hustle will be held on Oct. 26, 2024.
For more information about the NTMC Foundation or ways to support these events, contact Darin Allred at (940) 612-8460 or via email at darin.allred@ntmconline.net.
