07 Mar 2022 Chase Race and Paws run this Saturday

By Rita Halter Thomas

Slip on those running (or walking) shoes, load up the fur babies — don’t forget leashes — and head to Simon Park in downtown Conway on Saturday, March 12, to join the 17th annual Chase Race and Paws nonprofit fundraising event.

The Chase Race starts at 8 a.m. and is a 2-mile, Arkansas RRCA State Championship Grand Prix approved race. That may sound intimidating to those newer to the running world, but don’t be deterred. The course is straight, flat, and a great way to get a short race in the books. All age groups receive awards five deep for male and female.

If that doesn’t sound exciting, perhaps the Paws Race, a fun 1-mile trek for runners or walkers with leashed pets, is more appealing. Bring the pooch, a raccoon in a stroller (yes, it’s been done) or some other paw-footed, furry friend. During the Paws Race, which starts at 8:30 a.m., judges will determine the top three best pet costumes from among the participants.

Don’t run? Prefer not to walk the course? No problem. Attendees may still enjoy an assortment of refreshments, giveaways, community vendors, and even pet adoption as they encourage their favorite competitors.

Chase Race and Paws memorializes Chase Potter, a local teen who suffered the effects of traumatic brain injury and died in March 2005 at 13 years old.

“Chase was a happy kid and a typical boy. He loved running, animals, and taking in rescues. He always had a pet, mostly dogs,” said Courtney Williams, Chase Race director. Chase’s parents, Don and Cheryl Potter, wanted a way to honor their son continually. Since they were runners, creating a race involving pets seemed the best way to combine two things Chase really loved.

Proceeds from the event benefit a special needs nonprofit school or an organization for the welfare of animals. This year, proceeds will benefit both Compass Academy and Conway Animal Welfare Shelter.

Potter served as race director from its inception until passing the baton to Williams in 2019. 

“Don is still active in the event. He still runs/walks almost every day in his 80s, but when he decided to retire from the race, a mutual friend put us together,” Williams said. “They thought [the race] would be a perfect fit with the school.”

Besides being the race director, Williams is the director of Compass Academy, a private nonprofit K–12 school in Conway for children with special needs. The school gives students a unique learning environment designed to help them thrive at their own pace in a way that is best suited for the child.

“Don says he wishes the academy existed when his son was alive because perhaps we could have helped him,” Williams said.

Compass Academy has grown from zero to 91 students in just six years and now needs a new building.

“Our students are primarily from Faulkner County, but we have some from other places, including Little Rock. One family drives from Bauxite every day. Another family even moved from Missouri just so their child could attend Compass,” Williams said.

The school is unique and isn’t a part of any network from which to draw funding. “It literally started six years ago with a group of parents who approached me with an idea about a school that didn’t exist, had no money, no students, no staff, no building, no name, and no mission,” Williams said. The proceeds received from the race will put them closer to making a new building possible.

Williams also makes sure her students are present and involved in the event.

“They have full ownership of the tasks we give them at the race. So often, special-needs kids aren’t given a lot of tasks, so I want them to be involved and they want to help,” she said.

Pet adoptions will also be available at the event with the help of the Conway Animal Welfare Shelter. The shelter is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of animals throughout Conway by educating people, providing needed resources, reporting animal abuse, hosting spay and neuter clinics, conducting animal rescues, and much more.

While Chase Race and Paws is a competitive race, it is also meant to be a fun, family-friendly event intended to get people involved in the community. 

Find more information about the race, entry fees, and registration at compassacademyconway.org and runsignup.com/race/ar/conway/chaseraceandpaws.