A Record-Setting Event: Harvest Hammer 2012

The Harvest Hammer has become a rewarding community project for The Morrison Rotary Club, and we are proud to promote fitness and a healthy life style. The success of this fun, family friendly, challenging event would not be possible without the unselfish community cooperation that is alive and well in Morrison.

We thank the participants and their supporting spectators.  Without athletes, young and old, willing to work towards achieving a new personal record on race day, there would not be a Harvest Hammer.  We are grateful to the neighbors who endured, without complaint, the intrusion of over 500 runners and bikers on race day.  With 575 total entries, we set a new record!

We thank City Hall for helping with registration and local business that helped advertise our event.  We are grateful to Community State Bank for allowing the use of their facility for organizational meetings and preparation, and the Morrison Unit 6 School District for the use of the school property.

Special Thanks to Don Beswick, race day announcer; Sterling Rock Falls Amateur Radio Society, who provides radio communications; Cottonwood 4H Club, for the water stop; City, County, and State Police, for traffic control; Lion’s Club, Morrison High School Key Club, MIT students, Mount Carroll Rotarians, Morrison Rotarians and spouses, and all the Morrison teachers and community volunteers.

Finally, we thank the generous sponsors who provided the financial support necessary.

Gold Sponsors: Dairy Queen Grill and Chill, Ashford University, MCH (Morrison Com. Hospital), Frontier Communications, CGH Morrison Health & Vision Center, Exelon Generation, Sterling Chevrolet, Waste Management, Wells Fargo Bank. Community State Bank, The Prairie Advocate News, Whiteside News Sentinel, and Mead’s Bike Shop.

Silver sponsors: Coplan Buckwalter, P.C.; Central Bank; Ludens, Potter & Melton; Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson; Pete Harkness Auto Group; Trish Joyce, Attorney at Law, P.C.; Woodlawn Arts Academy; Farmers National Bank, Schuler Motors, Inc.; CLIMCO; THE National Bank; 1st Farm Credit; H. B. Wilkinson Title Company; and Morrison True Value Hardware.

Bronze sponsors: Advantage One Credit Union, Law Office of William R. Shirk, P.C., Brinkman Building Center, B-Fit, Prairie Ridge Golf Course, Happy Joes, R.C. Smith Transportation, and Northwestern Title, Inc.

In-Kind (donated product or services): Sullivan’s Foods; HPV Vending; Hardees; McDonald’s; HyVee; Nelson; Kilgus, Richey, Huffman & Buckwalter-Schurman; and Robin Green.

Chris Scott, 39, wins the 5K Run at Saturday’s Harvest Hammer in Morrison. Winning time was18:01. Troy Riley,45, was close behind, placing 2nd with a time of 18:08. Ben Treakle, 39, was 3rd at 19:20. In the Duathlon, thirty-year-old Joe Byrne actually had the best run time at 17:23, but finished with a 1:06:49 bike time, and 1:24:11 overall put him in 19th place. Bryce Mead, 32, won the Duathlon in 1:10:12; 2nd was Joe Nichols, 40 in 1:13:07; 3rd Derek Johnson, 40 in 1:17:14. For complete results, visit www.harvesthammer.org and click on “results.” (PA photo/Tom Kocal)

Mason Muur receives the first place medal in the 14-19 male category from Harvest Hammer chairman Kathy Schmidt. For complete results, visit www.harvesthammer.org and click on “results.” Visit www.pacc-news.com for the Harvest Hammer slideshow! (PA photos/Tom Kocal)

Beth Sanders was the 1st place winner of the category with the most entries, 20-29 female, from Rotarian Kathy Schmidt.

Jen Altfillisch gets some great crowd support as she finishes the 5K run. The record setting 575 entries was matched by the enthusiastic crowd. For more photos, visit www.pacc-news.com for the Harvest Hammer slideshow! (PA photos/Tom Kocal)

Safety first, as the young runners are reminded to make sure their shoes are tied before the race! Thirty-six young runners participated in Harvest Hammer 2012. For more photos, visit www.pacc-news.com for the Harvest Hammer slideshow! (PA photos/Tom Kocal)