BENTONVILLE -- The Bentonville Firefighters' Association inaugural Hook & Ladder 5K/10K was a success despite having been rescheduled because of weather, officials said.
The event initially was scheduled for Aug. 6, but was rescheduled because of rain and lightening. It took place Aug. 20.
Bentonville Firefighters’ Association
The association is a nonprofit organization that consists of all Bentonville firefighters. It serves the community in various ways, from providing scholarships for high school students to mowing lawns of those who are elderly or handicapped.
It was reorganized about a year ago. It is operated by a six-member board.
Source: Staff report
There were 127 people who participated, said Scott Boyd, firefighter and race director.
"We had 224 that signed up, but due to redoing the race schedule, there were a lot of people who couldn't come," he said.
Jay Lewis, race director of the Chile Pepper Festival, was one of those who was ready to runAug. 6 but couldn't make it Aug. 20.
To have more than 200 people register for an inaugural race in the summer heat of August would be deemed a success, Lewis said, adding it would be good turnout for 150 runners to sign up for a first-year event.
Races can either be rescheduled or simply cancelled because of weather depending on the size of the event and what other events are happening in the following weeks, he said.
"It could go either way, but I've seen more say 'Hey, let's cancel and have it again next year,'" he said. "For a new event, they did really well."
The top male and female runners for the 10-kilometer race were given firefighter helmets with custom shields. The top finishers for the 5-kilometer race were awarded with a fire ax with the department's emblem on the ax and the race title engraved on the handle.
Money raised will benefit the Bentonville Firefighters' Association's effort to buy a statue honoring the services of firefighters and memorializes those who lost their lives in service, Boyd said.
It will be placed in front of Fire Station No. 1, which is at the corner of Southwest A and Southeast Eighth streets.
The idea for the statue came about seven or eight years ago when Station No. 1 was built and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art was announced, said Fire Department Capt. Hunter Smith. Smith is also the president of the firefighters' association.
There was discussion of creating an arts culture downtown, and the association thought a statue would be a way the department could participate, Smith said.
The association started fundraising then, but the idea fizzled until about a year ago when the association was reorganized, he said.
Smith said he's going to meet with an artist in a couple weeks to develop a rendering. The current thought is for it to be of a firefighter holding a piece of equipment, maybe an ax, and standing next to a hydrant that trickles water into a reflection pool.
The goal is to have $42,000 raised in two years for the statue, Smith said.
Money raised from Saturday's race hasn't been calculated yet, but officials said it likely raised a couple thousand dollars.
The association had around $8,000 prior to the race.
The firefighters' association is also raising money by selling T-shirts, hats and brick pavers, which will be placed around the fountain when it's installed.
Those items can be purchased and bricks ordered in the lobby of Station No. 1 at 800 S.W. A St.
There will also be more fundraisers, including the annual Hook & Ladder race next year, Smith said.
"This race was a success," he said. "Especially for its first year, I thought we did really well."
NW News on 08/27/2016