Sunday, May 10, 2009

Lewisville seeking participants for 5K run and family walk across Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge August 1

By Pegasus News wire

LEWISVILLE — Participants, volunteers, vendors and sponsors are being solicited to take part in the 'Run the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge 5K and Family Fun Walk' across the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge (LLTB) on Aug. 1, 2009. The event will celebrate and commemorate the "Bridging of North Texas Communities" through the opening of the LLTB. This is an opportunity for the community and general public to experience this once-in-a-lifetime chance to run or walk across the newest North Texas landmark.

The event is being hosted by 'The Run the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge Committee' which consists of The City of Lake Dallas, Town of Little Elm, Denton County, North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), TxDOT and a group of community volunteers. This committee has been preparing for the past year to host this once in a lifetime event.

Participation in the 5K race is limited to the first 2,500 registrants. Registration for the event opened April 2, 2009; runners may register at www.runlltb.com is available. The fee is $35.00. All runners must pre-register online by July 17th. The LLTB Event Committee is encouraging those who wish to walk across the bridge to bring a non-perishable food item which will be donated to Lake Cities Community Food Pantry and the Little Elm Area Food Bank. There is no limit to the number of people who can walk the bridge. The committee suggests car pooling to the event as parking is extremely limited.

All access to the event will be on the west or Lake Dallas side of the bridge. The public is encouraged to come out to enjoy the sights of an up-close and personal view from the newest Denton County landmark and support local food banks.

Cynthia Northrop White, chair of the committee, said the effort began when a resident of Little Elm, Jerry Belliveau, came up with the idea. "This is an incredible effort of agencies and individual community members wanting to mark this long-awaited day with a run across a landmark bridge that will connect the Town of Little Elm and the entire Lake Cities area."

The LLTB, built by the NTTA, is one section of an eight section transportation corridor connecting I-35E in the Lake Cities area to the Dallas North Tollway in Frisco. The approximate 14-mile corridor is a partnership project between Denton County, NTTA, TxDOT and the cities along the corridor including Lake Dallas, Little Elm and Frisco.

"The LLTB is an important transportation link for North Texas that is expected to reduce the travel times of North Texas motorists, especially during peak hours. It will also provide a visible landmark that will become a vibrant part of our history," said Rick Herrington, deputy executive director.

AECOM, the firm that designed the bridge, is the title sponsor of the event. Additional sponsorships opportunities are still available. The committee is also seeking additional vendors and volunteers for the event. All proceeds will be donated back into the local community through the Lake Cities Community Food Pantry, Little Elm Area Food Bank, and Communities in Schools of North Texas.

"It is especially gratifying to be a part of an effort that made it a priority to give back to our communities by donating all proceeds to these non-profit organizations that do so much for those in our local communities," said Frank Kastner, Mayor of Little Elm, and founding member of the Run LLTB Committee.

For additional information on the 'Run the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge 5K and Family Fun Walk' visit the Web site at www.runlltb.com. For additional information on the LLTB, including toll rates and length, please visit www.ntta.org.

Source: City of Lewisville

Related stories

• Officials shut down 5K run on Lewisville Lake toll bridge on Saturday (Aug. 2, 2009)
• Little Elm gets new mayor in squeaky-tight race, approves street repairs and improvements (May 10, 2009)

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• Politics and Government > City Government > Lewisville
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