600 Participate in Santa Teresita’s fourth-annual Hayden 5K and Family Festival

By Ruth Longoria Kingsland

-Photo by Ruth Longoria Kingsland

It wasn’t all about winning as more than 600 runners, walkers and wheel-enabled participants took to the streets and walking trail in Duarte Saturday for Santa Teresita’s fourth-annual Hayden 5K and Family Festival.
After sprinting, jogging, power walking, rolling or strolling, there was plenty of time for snow cones, jumping in a bouncy house, face painting, pony rides, climbing a rock wall, trying on firefighter gear, or dozens of other exciting entertainment and eating options provided after the run at the about 25 vendor booths set up in Santa Teresita’s parking lot area.
“There are more people today than we’ve ever had,” said Sister Mary Patrice, event coordinator and director of Hayden Child Care Center, a division of Santa Teresita.
Despite the large number of participants and spectators, there were fewer complications for commuters and Royal Oaks area residents, some who have complained in previous years of traffic problems when the city shut down Royal Oaks Drive for the annual event.
“Everything ran great. There were no problems as far as logistics and traffic,” said Sheriff’s Deputy C. Moore, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office’s Duarte sub station.
The event also was free of medical or other emergencies, Moore said, reiterating, “The run all went great.”
In addition to the 600-plus run participants, many more local and surrounding area folks showed up for the Family Festival, where dozens of vendors each provided raffle items, which allowed for thousands of dollars worth of prizes to be won.
“It’s amazing,” Sister Mary Patrice said, of community and vendor support, which help the Carmelite Sisters provide services at its Hayden Child Care Center.
Saturday’s event was co-sponsored by the non-profit Hayden Child Care Center, the city of Duarte, Baja Ranch Market, Jake’s Roadhouse, and Purchase Green. Proceeds from the event benefit Hayden Child Care Center. The center is a pre-school and kindergarten education facility that assists families and children in spiritual, social, and academic formation.
Santa Teresita has been part of the Duarte/Monrovia area since 1930. It began as a series of cottages where the founding Sisters treated an influx of refugees from Mexico during a severe Tuberculosis epidemic. Through the years, the complex has grown to include a several story professional office building, the one-story Hayden Childcare facility, chapel, two convent buildings, and most recently the beginnings of an $8.4 million restoration project to include nine assisted living cottages.
The first of those cottages broke ground last fall as the Rose Gardens at Santa Teresita.
Winners of Saturday’s Hayden 5K run received medals – for first, second, and third place – and children received ribbons.
The event was a wonderful experience for Monrovia High School senior Jasmine Ramirez, 17, and her sister, Giselle Vargas, 4, both who finished the 5K in high spirits, ready to run off some more energy at the Family Festival.
“My sister did great in the run,” Ramirez said, adding, “I made Giselle drink a lot of water, I wanted her to be ale to finish the run, didn’t want to have to carry her.”
Ramirez said several other family members also participated in the event, including her aunt, Yolanda Villasenor, and Villasenor’s boyfriend, Jon Acedo. Acedo and Villasenor, of Fullerton, both came in second-place in the 5K run’s age 25 to 29 male and female categories.
“They are very competitive, they came in within two minutes apart, and so close to first-place,” Ramirez said.
Sister Imelda and Sister Rita Therese took their time completing the course, which, for them took about one-hour and five minutes.
“We were just walking, enjoying the day,” Sister Imelda said.
Jeannette Gonzalez and her daughter, Alyssa, 5, a former Hayden student, completed the course with a little bit of running and a lot of walking. This was their second year to complete the 5K run.
“We took a short cut,” Alyssa admitted, adding she’s already excited to participate in next year’s run.
She also was excited to eat a pineapple snow cone at the Family Fair.
“Yum,” she said, as she slurped the florescent yellow, icy concoction.
The face painting was the highlight of Saturday’s events for Mark Young, 4, of Lakewood. Mark got a batman mask painted on his face, as his mom, Bernie Young looked on.
Victoria Ramos, of Alhambra, also enjoyed watching as her sons, Nathan, 8, Julian, 9, and Ethan, 3, tried on firefighter gear with the help of local firefighters, next to a shiny red fire engine.
“My sons love firefighters, so this is the best,” Ramos said.
This was the first year the Ramos family has participated in the event, but they will probably come back again, Ramos said.
“My brother and sister-in-law invited us, they do it every year,” she said, adding, “We all really had a lot of fun today.”

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