Runners and rockers alike can lace up their running shoes or their dancing shoes at HomeFront’s “Rock and Roll for Hope” 5K and 1 Mile Run/Walk on June 9 at the Educational Testing Service campus on Rosedale Road.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. for the 9 a.m. race, which raises money for the nonprofit group’s Camp Mercer summer camp program and the year-round “Joys Hopes and Dreams” children’s enrichment program. HomeFront is based in Lawrence Township.
There will be games, awards and prizes for the best rock-and-roll costumes and for the largest fund-raisers at the June 9 event. Participates can dress up as their favorite rock-and-roll star and compete for an award.
A dozen rock and music bands will stand along the sidelines to entertain the runners – from HIVE, the School of Rock’s two house bands, the Footstompers, Songs of Sentiment, Around Eight and Milz Stone to the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School Steel Drum Band.
Princeton High School’s a capella groups, teen bands Rebel Alliance and Darnabee Jones from the John Witherspoon Middle School, as well as Cloud 9, the Testosterones and the Cat’s Meow bands also will play for the runners.
So far, each of Princeton’s four elementary schools is sending a team of young runners. The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District also is sending teams of runners.
This is the second year that rock bands have been invited to play for the runners, said Suki Wasserman, HomeFront’s Community Engagement coordinator.
“Last year, we had a committee and we knew we wanted to come up with a ‘big idea’ to draw a lot of people. We wanted to grow the event significantly in size,” Wasserman said.
“We started with the idea it would be great to have teens from the local area come with their high school bands or their own music groups to perform. From that idea, the rock-and-roll theme evolved. We decided to invite adult bands, too,” she said.
The 2018 edition of the 5K and 1 Mile Run/Walk drew about 800 people. Pleased with the turnout, HomeFront has set a goal of 1,000 participants.
Money raised by the event will be used to cover the costs of HomeFront’s Camp Mercer summer camp and the “Joys Hopes and Dreams” enrichment program during the year.
To register for the event, go to www.homefrontnj.org.