Restoration Praise Center Wins Healthy Church Challenge at WAU 5K

Members of Restoration Run Club (RRC), a club sponsored by Potomac Conference’s Restoration Praise Center in Bowie, Md., recently won the Healthy Church Challenge at Washington Adventist University’s (WAU) 5K Fun Run in Takoma Park, Md.

Story by Devona Brown

Restoration Run Club garnered the most participants in the race, making them the winners of the challenge. The newly formed club’s participants range in age from 4 to 70+. Team members also earned an impressive amount of individual awards, including:

• Elijah Moore, 9, won first place in the Kids 100 Yard Dash.
• Olivia Bushrod, 8, won second place in the Kids 100 Yard Dash.
• Anita CaPayne, a first-time racer and member of the Seabrook church in Lanham Md., won first place in the Women Over 70 category.
• Elizabeth Bushrod and Pauline Rose Moore both came in second place in their respective women's categories and took home medals.
• Samantha-Re Crowal and Liz Alexander both received third place metals in their respective age categories.
• Co-leader Bryan Brown completed the course in 21.56 minutes and took 1st place in the Men’s 30-39 category. Brown also came in fifth place overall.
• One of RRC's newest members, Roy Dunlap, won 1st place in the Men's 40-49 category.

Club co-leaders Windy Spence-Graham and Bryan Brown encouraged the group to participate in the event, which raised money and awareness for the Acro-Airs, the university’s acrobatic sports team that promotes healthy lifestyles and wellness in the community.

Paul Graham, senior pastor, was at the event to cheer on the participants, including his wife, Windy, and their son. “Watching Restoration Run Club spring into action was exciting,” he said. “I am so proud of this club, mainly because it promotes itself as a ministry. Healthy people inspire others to become healthy, not only physically but spiritually. This is ‘running’ ministry at its best.”

Leaders started the club to further collaborate with the community of Bowie and to encourage church members to get fit physically and spiritually.