Hero Hustle 5k

t’s time to break out your tights and iron your cape as Harbin Clinic announces the first Harbin Hero Hustle 5K and two-mile health walk. The race takes place on Saturday, Oct. 15, in downtown Rome with a 10 a.m. start time.

The race not only serves as a healthy endeavor for the whole family but also as a way to help honor great charitable community heroes with the Harbin Hero Challenge. Harbin Clinic will honor five local community charities at the race by donating a total of $3,500 to them.

We will begin taking nominations for charities via social media starting on Aug. 4. To nominate a charity, individuals need to post the charity name and include the hashtag #HarbinHeroChallenge to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Here are the Harbin Hero Challenge Rules:

• Only one vote per Facebook, Twitter or Instagram user
• Nominations must use #HarbinHeroChallenge and name the charity.
• Nominations end at 10 p.m. on Aug. 18.
• The charity must be an actively registered 501(c)(3).
• The charity must be based in Floyd, Bartow, Polk, Chattooga or Gordon County.
• The charity must support health, educational or cultural causes.

The five charities receiving the most hashtag nominations will all get a $500 donation from Harbin Clinic. Those five charities also have a chance to become the overall Harbin Hero Challenge winners and receive an additional $1,000.

Runners and walkers who register for the race or health walk can help one of the five selected charities win the top prize.

When race registration opens, people signing up to participate in the 5K race or two-mile health walk can select one of the five charities to support. The charities will receive two points for each paid registration for the race. On race day, people registering for the race or walk can also help, as each paid race-day registration gives one point to one of the five charities.

The charities have one final chance for points on race day. There will be a costume contest with categories honoring:

• Best hero
• Best villain
• Best junior hero (age 10 and under)
• Best league of heroes (ensemble of five or more heroes)
• Best dynamic duo

Contest winners earn an additional 10 points for one of the five charities.

After the race, we will crown the charity, which received the most points from registrations and the costume contest, as the Harbin Hero Challenge winner. That charity earns an additional $1,000 donation.