Run for Honeywood event marks Mulmur 175 and brings attention to ageing arena

Written By JOSHUA DRAKES

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

The Run for Honeywood will bring runners, walkers and families to the rolling hills of Mulmur for a community-focused fundraiser that pairs fitness with local history and hospitality.

As part of Mulmur's ongoing 175-year anniversary celebrations, the North of 89 Alliance, a local charity fundraising organization, has organized the Run for Honeywood event on May 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lisa Thompson, one of the event organizers, said that the running event aims to be accessible to a broad mix of abilities – from competitive runners to casual walkers and seniors looking for an afternoon outing – and promises scenic views along rural roads that showcase the area's landscape and heritage.

“It's all going to start from Honeywood, and they are going to go 5k one direction, 10k in the other,” she said. “We have options available, and there's even a relay portion for kids that want to participate. It's going to be a fantastic experience, up at the top of Honeywood, the view of the local area, the landscape is just beautiful.”

The run's primary purpose is to raise funds for the Honeywood Arena, a longtime community hub that hosts hockey, birthday parties, gatherings and other events. Thompson said that the facility needs significant upgrades to remain safe and welcoming for all residents. 

“For this particular run, we're not only celebrating Mulmur's 175 but we're also trying to continue to raise money for the Honeywood arena,” she said. “It desperately needs a lot of money to upgrade it to the building that it should be.”

“Mulmur doesn't have a true downtown, so this arena is our community space. That's where families go to not only play hockey, but they're going for birthday parties, for weddings, they're going for celebrations. It is our community hub,” Thomposon added.

Key priorities include making the building wheelchair accessible - installing ramps, accessible doors and an elevator so people with mobility challenges can view events - as well as addressing urgent mechanical and structural repairs such as a failing condenser and roof leaks.

Initial estimates put the total capital needed between $6 million and $10 million.

Spearheading the fundraising and broader community initiatives is the North of 89 Alliance, a small nonprofit born from the My Honeywood campaign.

“Originally, they had come up with the My Honeywood fundraising group… tasked to envision what the building should look like, what it needs,” Thompson said. “Eventually, we branched off into the broader North of 89 Alliance, because North Dufferin, anything north of 89, is kind of forgotten about.”

With the mantra ‘good people doing good things,' the alliance formed to pull together fundraising for the arena while also directing support to local food banks in Alliston and Shelburne.

Organizers of the Run for Honeywood hope that visitors from neighbouring towns – and even people who are just passing through – will stop, spend time locally and discover the attractions that make Mulmur unique in the region.

The Run for Honeywood aims to be an inclusive day of family fun while raising critically needed funds for great causes.

For more information, go to https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/run-for-honeywood.