More than 300 runners came together in downtown Laurinburg on Saturday for the 20th annual FUNd Run.
Katelin Gandee | The Laurinburg Exchange
For 20 years the Scotland Memorial Foundation has held the FUNd Run in Scotland County and brought the celebration over the weekend.
Katelin Gandee | The Laurinburg Exchange
Children play with bubbles at the 20th annual FUNd Run held by the Scotland Memorial Foundation.
Katelin Gandee | The Laurinburg Exchange
LAURINBURG — More than 300 runners came together Saturday for the 20th annual FUNd Run.
For 20 years the Scotland Memorial Foundation has held the FUNd Run in Scotland County and brought the celebration over the weekend.
“We had over 350 runners this year,” said Executive Director Misty McMillan. “I feel great about that number, especially since it’s the end of spring break, and we weren’t sure how many people would be in town. But this year, we had even more sponsors and more spirit markers, so it was incredible to see the community come together for our 20th anniversary.”
In the 5K, the top male finishers were Zachary Ferguson in first place, Connor Thomas in second, and Chris Molina in third.
For the women, Kayla Fliger finished first, Nance Carter took second, and Mary Morgan claimed third.
Service Thread has been a sponsor for all 20 years of the event. CEO Jay Todd shared his thoughts on how the run has evolved over the years—from a 10-mile race to a half marathon, with various routes around Laurinburg.
“I’m really happy to be here and so proud to be part of this,” Todd said. “To see it still going strong 20 years later is amazing. All the money we’ve raised—over half a million dollars in 20 years—stays in the community, helping people right here. It’s truly special to be in a community where everyone is working together to make life a little better every day.”
Scotland Health Care CEO David Pope also highlighted the broad age range of participants, including several runners under 20 years old.
“For those of you who aren’t yet 20, 20 years ago—before you were born—a group of people had the great idea to create this fun run to promote physical activity and raise money to support healthcare in our county and community,” Pope said. “What will the next big idea be? What will we come up with this year to help our community, so that 20 years from now, we can look back and say, ‘That’s when we made it happen.’”
After the awards, cancer survivors were honored in a special tent with music, while both kids and adults enjoyed the kids’ zone, which featured bubbles, inflatables, and face painting.
“We just want everyone to know how much we appreciate the support year after year, especially this 20th year,” McMillan added.