Eerie Erie: The Halloween Race!
The Eerie Erie is a community race held in Erie on October 27, the Saturday before Halloween. It’s both a serious and a fun run that attracts runners from all over the state, many of them wearing their Halloween best. Since 1982 the Optimists Club of Erie, which was founded to “aid and encourage the development of youth,” has been planning and coordinating this community race. Each year it gets bigger and better and takes an army of volunteers to pull off, says Joanne Pastor, President and Chairman of the Optimists Club.
“It’s one of those cool races,” she says with elite runners at the front, and families at the back with strollers and dogs on leashes. Both the 10K and the 5K — which begin at 9:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., respectively — start and finish at Erie Middle School. Runners and walkers can enjoy a light breakfast of bagels, bars and yogurt along with plenty of Starbucks coffee and hot chocolate. The 10K entrants will run or walk past the cemetery and through the Colliers Hill neighborhood before catching County Road 10 and heading west then south, then back to the school.
Cheer Them On!
It’s always a treat for residents of Colliers Hill to cheer the runners along the route and gaggle at the costumes people come up with for the race.
“If you’ve ever been on the route, you know it has gorgeous mountain views,” she says, and even the 5K is a fun run through historic downtown Erie. Close to 1,000 runners participate in two races, Joanne says, and about 250 kids take part in the Goblin Run which starts at 10:30 a.m. at the middle school running track.
Fundraising for Kids’ Futures
“This is the number one fundraising event we do all year and 100 percent of the proceeds go back to fund the programs we do for children,” says Joanne.
Some of the other events the Optimists Club coordinates for kids include the town Easter Egg Hunt, Brain Bowl, Junior Golf, Senior Scholarships, the Erie High School After Prom and Operation Santa.
After the Race
Runners and walkers will receive long-sleeved t-shirts, orange and black cell phone pockets, free entries to the Bolder-Boulder, gift certificates to local businesses and other goodies. And at the awards presentation, where Optimists will hand out the winners’ trophies and medals, there is always fun with chances to win great raffle prizes.
The Eerie Erie and Colliers Hill
Colliers Hill home builders are huge supporters of the Eerie Erie and the community programs made possibly by the Optimists Club of Erie. We salute all the 2018 runners and walkers and will be at the finish line to see who wins! Brought to you by Shea Homes, Richmond American Homes and Meritage Homes, where you’ll find ranch and two-story designs, priced from the $400s to the $700s.
