Rise and Shine? Not So Fast

I have a confession to make. I am not a morning girl.

It’s not that I dislike mornings, it’s just that I don’t particularly want to be a part of mornings. So it has to be something pretty terrific (or terrifying) that will get me out of bed before the sun comes up.

Such was the case for the annual Glendale Downtown Dash 5K held on March 10.

CV Weekly was a sponsor of this fundraiser that raised money for stroke support services at Glendale Adventist Medical Center.

I joined CV Weekly sales diva Lisa Yeghiayan in rising before dawn to make our way to the 200 block of Brand Boulevard. By 6 a.m., the boulevard had already been cordoned off for the runners and booths had been set up on either side of the street for the various merchants and non-profit organizations. (Luckily our booth was very near the Don Francisco coffee van.)

Lisa and I found our way to the CV Weekly booth and quickly outfitted it with newspapers and other information about the paper.

A patio area had been set up near the Alex Theatre that was resplendent with pastries from Porto’s Bakery (when Betty Porto walked by she actually got applause) plus coffee and juices. I had a chance to pop in there before the 8:15 a.m. start of the race to visit with some special guests including GUSD, Glendale City Council and Glendale City Clerk candidates and members.

All the while, Radio Disney was keeping the crowd – especially the runners – pumped up.

After the singing of the national anthem by Tiza Atanque-Manoukian, Senator Carol Liu took the stage to start the race.

Once the runners hit the street, the energy was undeniable. Old people, young people, parents with kids, runners with dogs took to Brand Boulevard. Along with cheering them on, Lisa handed out freshly cut oranges that we had bought at Cordon’s Market on Honolulu Avenue. (The oranges were much appreciated and delicious.)

Within 16 minutes, the first runners were making their way to the finish line at Brand and California. Along with congratulations and “high fives,” all participants received medals from Massage Envy.

When the counting was done, over $60,000 was raised for GAMC stroke services.

Not a bad take, I’d say. Definitely worth getting out of bed for.

To learn more and to see some photos, go to page 22.