This year’s annual 4th of July Freedom 5K kicked off at the foot of the Cape Coral bridge with approximately 600 runners, some dressed in patriotic gear, braving the heat and humidity.
The event is helping to care for our American heroes, our veterans. The money raised from this year’s Freedom 5K will go to the Invest in America’s Veterans Foundation and Special Operations Communicators Association. Both organizations work to help meet the needs of veterans.
The overall winner was Cooper Neeble, of Christiansburg, VA, who finished the race at 18:42 after passing 2nd place winner Dylan Reichenbacher of Cape Coral, in the final seconds. Neeble, age 16, was here on vacation and thought it would be fun to run a race but stated “I didn’t expect it to be this bad,” referring to the heat.
Manuela Lyons, who finished first in the female division, completed the race at 20:59. Lyons moved to Ft Myers from Germany five years ago in search of warm weather but described the weather this morning as “very humid.”
In addition to the 5K, the event also featured a one-mile fun run for kids and a 100-yard tot trot for the younger ones. The determination on their faces as they ran for the finish line was priceless.
The post-race party included food and beverages, music and even a free massage. Participates received a goodie bag which included a t-shirt, discount coupons and raffle prizes.
Despite the heat, this year’s event was a good time for the entire family and a chance to support and honor our veterans.
