RUN, WALK A FAMILY AFFAIR EVENT RAISES THOUSANDS FOR HOSPICE.Byline: Donna Huffaker Staff Writer UNIVERSAL STUDIOS - There aren't too many reasons Barak Raviv will pull himself out of bed at 6 a.m. on a Sunday. But running alongside his mom and 1,500 other participants in the eighth annual 5-10K Run and Family Fun Walk for Wellness is reason enough to welcome the early morning chill. ``It's great exercise, it's quality time with Mom, and it's like a studio tour,'' the 24-year-old said of Sunday's race route snaking through the Universal Studios backlot backlot Noun an area outside a film or television studio used for outdoor filming . Giving panting panting rapid, shallow breathing, a characteristic heat-losing reaction in dogs; represents an increase in dead-space ventilation resulting in heat loss without necessarily increasing oxygen uptake or carbon dioxide loss. runners a little extra incentive, the hilly course wound past Norman Bates' house, ``Back to the Future's'' clock tower and Jurassic Park - complete with thumping sounds of dinosaur herds. And then there was a loudmouthed loud·mouth n. Informal One given to loud, irritating, or indiscreet talk. loud  mouthed Beetle Juice, Woody Woodpecker woodpecker, common name for members of the Picidae, a large family of climbing birds found in most parts of the world. Woodpeckers typically have sharp, chisellike bills for pecking holes in tree trunks, and long, barbed, extensible tongues with which they impale and a Marilyn Monroe look-alike waving
from a convertible 1958 Pontiac.
Presented by the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Charitable Foundation, the run-walk benefits the Wellness Community, a cancer hospice, located both in Westlake Village and Pasadena, providing support and counseling for cancer patients and their families. Foundation President Nancy Schmidt said the event last year raised $15,000, an amount volunteers hoped to top this year. ``They come with their families, their cameras and their strollers,'' Schmidt said, adding the scenic course makes runners and walkers feel like they're taking their own private tour. The participants are divided by sex and age, and the first five finishers in each race's age group receive trophies. Glendale resident Debbie Watkins took first for the 35- to 49-year-old age group - but it was so chilly she didn't hang around for the trophy. In fact, she didn't even know she won a trophy. ``I don't do "I Don't Do" was the debut single by glamour model Michelle Marsh, released on 6 November 2006. The single reached 27 in the UK in its first week, selling only 9,000 copies and over 16,000 copies as of January 2007. The single spend a total of four weeks in the Top 75. the cold very well. I just wanted to come home and sit in the hot tub,'' the 45-year-old said. An avid runner, Watkins participates in a dozen or so 5K and 10K events from Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. to Palm Springs each year. The Universal Studios race Sunday marks the third race for Watkins this fall, and it's the fourth time she's run the backlot race. On Sunday, she finished in 25.18 minutes. For 9-year-old Caitlin Choate, it was that shiny gold trophy affixed af·fix tr.v. af·fixed, af·fix·ing, af·fix·es 1. To secure to something; attach: affix a label to a package. 2. on a wooden plaque that propelled her through the crowds. The pigtailed pig·tail n. 1. A plait of braided hair. 2. A twisted roll of tobacco. 3. See flamingo flower. pig Palmdale resident could have run in the milelong Kiddie kid·die or kid·dy n. pl. kid·dies Slang A small child. kiddie Noun Informal a child K for children 12 and under, in which each child received a ``No. 1'' trophy, but Caitlin completed all 3.1 miles of the family race instead. ``I like to get trophies and medals,'' said a giggling Caitlin, who finished first in the 9-year-old girls' category. This marks the first year the girl began running next to her mom and dad in charity runs. And on Sunday, her grandma and 7-year-old sister Caylie rounded out the family event. ``With girls' ballet sometimes you feel a little left out,'' said Caitlin's father, Mike Choate. ``But today, Daddy gets to be involved.'' The mother and son Raviv team run together frequently, said the 50-year- old Valley Village resident, noting she and her son kept setting goals of people to pass. Once they sailed past the group of Girl Scouts, they knew the pink finish lines were within reach. ``He just kept pushing me and holding my hand,'' Miriam Raviv said. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Kim Sheldon and son Nick are encouraged to press ahead by Beetle Juice in Sunday's 5-10K event. John McCoy/Staff Photographer |
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