Bay Village middle schooler wins Love-A-Stray 5K

Love-A-Stray’s fourth annual Fur Fun 5K and Dog Walk attracted over 400 participants to the campus of Avon Lake High School on Sunday, April 26. The 5K stepped off at 9 a.m. with 339 runners and walkers, followed by a 1-mile dog walk at 11 a.m. that included 100 walkers and their four-legged companions.

According to volunteer race coordinator Andrea Sheetz, the event was a great success even though last year’s attendance was about 10 percent higher.

The Fur Fun event also included pet- and wellness-oriented vendors, two local rescue groups with adoptable pets, raffle baskets and a pre-event T-shirt contest. The dog walk participants received a nylon backpack filled with goodies for their four-legged friends.

Highlights from the race, included:

Overall Winner of the Race: Alex Semancik, age 14, Bay Village, with a time of 19:25. 

Overall Female Winner: Marisa Winkler, age 28, Cleveland Heights.

T-shirt design winner: Denise Staicar.

First dog to cross the finish line: German Shepherd Heidi with owner Jessica Tomazic.

Save the date for next year’s event, the fifth annual Fur Fun 5K and Dog Walk: Sunday, April 24, 2016. Love-A-Stray is a non-profit, all-volunteer dog rescue organization based in Avon Lake.