The Fort Myers Metro-McGregor Kiwanis will hold the 11th annual Calusa BUG Chase 5K run on Jan. 26, 2019 at the Calusa Nature Center  located at 3450 Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers. The race will benefit the Fort Myers-Metro Kiwanis Club’s BUG (Bring Up Grades) Program and other local club sponsored youth service projects. Participants can register online at ftmyerstrackclub.com. Last year there were over 225 registered runners.

Race sponsors include Weinstein Wilkes Financial Group, Burandt, Adamski, Feichthaler & Sanchez, PLLC,  Five County Insurance Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral, Lake Michigan Credit Union,  Larue Pest Control, Passarella & Associates, Inc., Ron Harris, CPA, and United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee. The Bagel Factory of Fort Myers, Sun Harvest Citrus and Calusa Nature Center have committed to in-kind sponsorships. Sponsorship opportunities are now available starting at the $100 level.

The course, supervised by the Fort Myers Track Club, travels the trails at the nature center and a portion of the asphalt bike path on Ortiz and will be timed with Chrono Track Bib Tag Technology. Packet pick up will take place the day of race from 7 a.m.-7:45a.m. Race day registration begins at 7a.m. and race time is 8 a.m. Adult pre-registration up to Jan. 16 is $20, Jan. 17-25 registration is $25 and race day registration is $35. Youth (17 and under) discounted pre- registration is $10, Jan. 17-25 registration is $15 and race day registration is $25. Registration includes a long-sleeve commemorative t-shirt, complimentary race day admission to the Calusa Nature Center and refreshments. Overall and age group awards for the 5K run will be presented.

All proceeds benefit the Fort Myers Metro-McGregor Kiwanis BUG (Bring Up Grades) program, designed to provide recognition to local elementary students who raise their grades to an acceptable range and maintain or continue to raise them from one grading period to the next, and other local club sponsored youth service projects. The Metro-McGregor Kiwanis currently has BUG programs at Littleton Elementary School, Orangewood Elementary School and Rayma C. Page Elementary School.

For more information regarding the 11th annual Calusa BUG Chase or to become a sponsor, please contact Chrysten Foley at cfoley1@nova.edu. There is also a Facebook event page to keep updated on the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/119673162265792/.

The Metro-McGregor Kiwanis Club is looking for more service-minded individuals and business professionals who would like to make a direct impact on the community through volunteering. Meetings are held every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in Fort Myers. For details on joining the Metro-McGregor Kiwanis Club, please call membership chair Stewart Ross at (507) 304-1624. Interested individuals or businesses can also email stewart.ross@mnsu.edu. The Metro-McGregor Kiwanis Club can be found on Facebook or online at www.metro-mcgregor.com.