GEMS Kids Triathlon Registration is Open

gems-kids-triathlon

Greenwich Emergency Medical Service (GEMS) is hosting the first annual GEMS Kids Triathlon at Greenwich High School on Sunday, June 9. The Triathlon will be a fun community event for local youth, ages six to 14, which promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, builds self-confidence and fosters important life skills. If you register by April 15 you will receive an early registration discount. “There has been overwhelming community support and interest in the GEMS Kids Tri,” said GEMS Executive Director, Tracy Schietinger. “We look forward to the first of many years of offering an event that is both fun and challenges kids physically. Proceeds from the event will support the life-saving work we do at GEMS and raise much needed funds that will help replace or refurbish equipment or possibly even a new ambulance.” While the GEMS Kids Tri is not connected to the Greenwich Kids Triathlon that ended in 2016, the idea to bring back a Kids Tri to Greenwich stems from the popularity of the original event.

The GEMS Kids Tri will include prizes, refreshments and entertainment for participants and their families. It is a USA Triathlon sanctioned event consisting of three races: swimming, cycling, and running – in that order. The swim will take place in the Greenwich High School (GHS) pool, the bike ride will be in the both the GHS parking lots and around the school and running will be on GHS athletic fields. The race begins promptly at 8 a.m., with participants required to be onsite by 7 a.m. To participate, children must be six years old by Dec. 31, 2019 and can be no older than 14 years old by Dec. 31, 2019, as per USAT sanctioning. This means that five years olds can participate if they are turning six years old in 2019 and that the age cut-off would not include teens that are turning 15 at some point in 2019. Registration closes on June 7 and day of registration is not available.

Aside from youth participation, there are additional ways to support the event and GEMS. “Volunteers are needed before and during the triathlon,” said Tracy. “Over 100 volunteers are necessary to insure the event will run smoothly.” You can sign up for a specific volunteer position on the GEMSKidsTri.org site. Positions range from Course Set Up to Check-in, Racer Marking / Bib Help to help needed at all of the stations. Sponsorship opportunities are still available as well and are yet another way to support the Triathlon.

As a not-for-profit, all triathlon proceeds will go towards continuing GEMS’ high quality life saving services and helping fund emergency vehicles and essential equipment. The mission of Greenwich Emergency Medical Service (GEMS) is to provide the highest level of pre-hospital emergency medical care to reduce the risk of death and disability due to trauma and sudden illness. GEMS operates 24/7 out of four stations with a fleet of eight state-of-the-art ambulances. From May 2017 through April 2018, GEMS responded to 6,109 calls and transported 4,199 patients, arriving, on average, within less than five minutes to over 70% of emergency calls.

For more information about the GEMS Kids Triathlon, visit gemskidstri.org or contact Pat O’Connor, 203-637-7505, GEMSKidsTri@greenwichems.org

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