It wouldn’t be September in Carter County without citizens donning the proper attire to support Dr. Josh Wandell.
Preparation continues for the fifth annual Race For Wandell, set for Saturday, Sept. 23, and Team Wandell member Kelly Geagley spent Friday dishing out the newly-created race T-shirts for this year. Geagley stated that shirts will be available for sale online and at the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce beginning Monday, Aug. 14. Race For Wandell participants can also register either online or at the Chamber starting Monday.
“We don’t know what we’d do without the Chamber,” Geagley said Friday. “We get as many people coming in to register at the Chamber as we do with online registration. We’ve had five races and this is the fifth year they’ve come to us to help. I don’t know what we’d do without them.”
Partnering with Team Wandell also proved to be a no-brainer, according to the Chamber’s Elizabeth White.
“It’s such an honor to work with great people like Team Wandell for a wonderful cause,” White said. “Everything they have done, everything Josh has done for our community, we want to stand with him. And to have so many people come out to Carter County, people who’ve never been here before, it’s a special moment.”
Race For Wandell is the state’s only certified 3K race, timed by RunCorps, and is held at East Side Elementary, where Wandell used to be principal. The race is the primary fundraiser for Team Wandell and is used to raise awareness for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
“I can’t say enough about all the support the community keeps giving to Josh, it is incredible,” Geagley said. “We always have people asking how they can help. It is a testament of what type of person Josh is and always been.”
One of the popular items for the race is the customized T-shirt. Each year, Team Wandell has a different theme and this year’s came from one of Josh’s close friends, graphic designer Jeremy Hughes.
“He’s a friend of Josh’s and actually contacted him last year wanting to work on the design of the shirt and didn’t want any money,” Geagley said. “Last year’s was great. Four months after last year’s race, he contacted us again and said he’d work on another design for us.”
This year’s shirt is heather-red and features images that hold a special meaning for the race, Geagley added.
“Josh does a lot of races where they push him in the cart,” Geagley said. “Jeremy liked one of the designs of Josh’s shirts he got from a race that had a shield-look to it. Jeremy took a silhouette of Josh when he could run, along with Mary Cates and T.J. Brown to add to the shield.”
Preregistration for the 3K competitive race is a $25 donation and the Fun Run/Walk is $20. Following September 17, registration is $25 for both races. Individuals can also purchase T-shirts for $20.
Individuals can register by either visiting teamwandell.com, the Team Wandell Facebook page online or by visiting the Chamber of Commerce office in Elizabethton.