The climbing wall, ropes and trails are nearly complete. And Ashton, the friendly but intense Sasquatch, has cleared his schedule to make an appearance for a good cause, the Longview (Wash.) Daily News reported.
On May 14, the Toutle River RV Park in southwest Washington on Interstate 5 exit 52 will hold the first “Ashkicker” 5-kilometer obstacle course run and walk. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., competitors will run the course every half hour, tackling terrain built on Mount St. Helens ash dredged from the Cowlitz and Toutle rivers.
All proceeds go to the United Way of Cowlitz/Wahkiakum County for its kickoff fundraising event, said Kalei LaFave, the agency’s executive director. Williams Co., a natural gas pipeline company and lead sponsor, has offered to match donations dollar for dollar up to $100,000, she said.
“This could exceed $200,000” in total donations, LaFave said.
The RV park will have live music, a beer garden and food vendors all day Saturday, LaFave said. The United Way will also hand out prizes to competitors, including the coveted best costume, she said.
The race costs $50 for individuals up until the day of the event, and $65 to register the same day. About 270 participants have already registered, according to United Way.
Williams Co., based in Salt Lake City and which owns a pipeline that crosses Cowlitz County, chooses one charity event to sponsor each year, said Travis Wickham, a Williams employee. As regular contributors to United Way, the company saw the Ashkicker as the perfect event to support, he said.
“We wanted to support our community and raise money,” Wickham said.
Other corporate sponsors include JH Kelly, Norpac, Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging, Weyerhaeuser Co. and Cascade Select Marketplace in Castle Rock. Other businesses can sponsor the event with donations ranging from $500 to $5,000.
