Sometimes a Race is More Than a Race
Mary Parker’s Run, Walk, Wag 5K Set for October!
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund.
BAR HARBOR—You’re allowed to bring your dogs.
Actually, Mary Parker would really have wanted it that way.
And she’d want you to bring yourself, too, even without a dog. If you could borrow one? That would be even better.
That’s because Mary loved dogs; she loved people; she loved helping others, and she loved her final job at Island Connections, an agency that provides transportation for seniors and people with disabilities on MDI.
Mary worked there for seven years as the transportation coordinator before she died from cancer in 2015. The organization’s Running for Rides was renamed “Mary Parker’s Run, Walk, Wag 5k.” It’s to honor her.
It’s a race, but it’s more than a race.
It can be run, but it doesn’t have to be run. You can skip, frolic, wheel, walk, trot, and stop to sniff an occasional tree. What matters is that you go.
There’s a spirit of community and joy that happens at this event that reflects the beauty of Island Connections and its mission, but also the beauty of Mary.
“Most of the folks that join us don’t run; they walk the course, and we are one of the only local 5ks that welcome dogs,” said Island Connections Executive Director Carissa Tinker. “It’s a fun family-friendly event for everybody, so we are excited to have a name that reflects that.”
The event also reflects generosity and giving, traits Mary was known for, but also traits that she inspired in others. Mary’s friends rallied, holding fundraisers to help cover the costs of cancer treatments that weren’t covered by insurance after Mary’s 2012 cancer diagnosis.
There was something about Mary, about the way she looked at life, about the way she lived it, that continues to inspire not just her family, but her coworkers and her acquaintances.
There is pure magic in living a life that way. There is pure magic in hope and legacy. The race event this October is an opportunity for others to put a little magic out there, too. Mary Parker was about not dwelling in the darkest hours, but being the light inside them.
WHAT IS ISLAND CONNECTIONS?
Founded in 1997, Island Connections transports seniors and people with disabilities. It also provides grocery shopping and other services as well as delivers Meals on Wheels. Each year, it coordinates over 5,500 rides. Volunteers give those rides. Neighbors help neighbors. And donors help keep it going by funding the vital service.
Back in July 2020, Norman Langlois became sick. He ended up needing dialysis three times a week. Dialysis isn’t available in Bar Harbor.
“I couldn’t drive after dialysis. I had to find a way to get to dialysis,” Langlois recalled.
He ended up learning about Island Connections and the agency stepped in and stepped up. Volunteers take him to dialysis multiple times a week.
“You’re going to a treatment that’s not necessarily fun. They make it enjoyable. They really care. Having someone to talk to just sitting there? It takes a lot of pressure off your mind,” he said.
“Without Island Connections, I would have to find a way somehow to get there . . . somehow . . . or have to move to Ellsworth. It’s made a big difference,” Langlois said.
According to the Maine Council on Aging, having transportation is part of good health and the need for it is increasing, particularly for older adults.
THE DETAILS:
On Saturday, October 5 at 9:00 a.m., runners, walkers, and wagging tails will gather at the Bar Harbor YMCA for Mary Parker’s Run, Walk, Wag 5k, sponsored by Bar Harbor Savings & Loan.
All proceeds from the race will go to Island Connections, where Mary Parker worked for seven years as the Transportation Coordinator before her passing. Island Connections has been providing free transportation for seniors and people with disabilities on MDI for over 25 years.
Participants will also experience a newly designed course that features ocean views along Bar Harbor’s recently renovated Shore Path, thanks to the generosity of the Bar Harbor Inn.
The race will conclude with a return to tradition at Pat’s Pizza, where participants can enjoy free pizza post-race for the first time since the race’s return following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’ve heard so many requests for the return of Pat’s, and we are thrilled to bring it back this year,” said Carissa, “a huge thank you to the team at Pat’s Pizza for making this possible.”
The cost for registrations received prior to race day is $25 for adults and $15 for youth 15 and under. To register visit www.islconnections.org and navigate to “Memorable Events.” Participants can register the morning of the race beginning at 8 a.m. The cost to register on race day is $30 for adults and $15 for youth 15 and under. For more information call 207-288-4457.
PAST STORIES AND LINKS
If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here.
If you’d like to sponsor the Bar Harbor Story, you can! Learn more here.