Galion's Pickle Run to return after 17-year absence

• %22Anything Goes%22 competition will raise money for Mojo Volleyball and JABC baseball
• Galion Graders game on Sunday with fireworks after
• Punt%2C Pass%2C and Kick competition for youngsters
• Disc Golf tournament with 98 competitors at Amick Reservoir

GALION – Earning its name from a local legend, the Pickle Run will be returning to Galion this weekend.

It is said that 54 years ago, a grocer used to dump his old pickles into the Whetstone Creek behind his store and the pickles would run through the creek. Sometime after that, the Pickle Run took up its place in Galion.

What was a tradition for years, though, disappeared for the past 17 and will make its re-emergence this weekend.

With a full slate of events scheduled for July 4 and 5, this is not the traditional Pickle Run.

It will be the first time in its long history, dating back to 1978, that the event will be held on July 4. The run used to be held on Labor Day.

"School did not start until after Labor Day back then, so they could have the event in September. Now, kids start in late August, so we decided to have it on the Fourth of July so everyone could come out and enjoy it," event organizer Sarah Capretta said.

The event will kick off with a YMCA 5K walk and run and a kids run at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Kids will then be invited to an NFL-sanctioned Punt, Pass and Kick competition at Unckrich Stadium. Winners from each age group will advance to a sectional competition and compete for a chance to perform at a Cleveland Browns game.

Also for children, there will be sack races and a pickle race and other competitive events.

"We brought this back so that people do not have to leave Galion to enjoy the holiday. They can stay right here and have fun on the Fourth of July," Capretta said.

A very popular event known as "Anything Goes" will kick off at 4 p.m. The event will feature five activities announced at the beginning and teams of six will compete it each activity to earn points. Teams still can register on the event's Facebook page.

"The 'Anything Goes' event will be really fun, and the proceeds are going to go to the Mojo Volleyball and Johnny Appleseed Baseball Club teams," Capretta said.

"Since we are just a group of citizens, we had to be nonprofit, so we approached some of the local sports organizations around here and offered them the opportunity to raise money for their teams by running the events. We wanted this to be very affordable and family-friendly."

There also is a teen dance/swim at the Heise Park pool that starts at 7 p.m. and a family movie night behind the YMCA at 9:30 p.m.

"The entry fee for the YMCA event is three canned goods. All of the canned goods will be donated to help Galion families," Capretta said.

More fun-filled events are on tap for Sunday as well. A car and motorcycle show will be held at Heise Park to benefit the Galion Golden Age Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a disc golf tournament is on tap to be played at Amick Reservoir starting at 8 a.m. A volleyball tournament also is on the agenda for Sunday. The tournament will kick off at 1 p.m. in Heise Park.

"The disc golf course was just completed last year, so we figured it would take a couple of years to make it a big tournament. We have 98 competitors and a large number on a waiting list. That was a huge surprise," Capretta said.

The new Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League baseball team, the Galion Graders, will be the main event on Sunday with a first pitch time of 7:05 p.m. with fireworks to follow.

The event is still accepting teams for the "Anything Goes" and Sand Volleyball tournament. Runners or walkers also are invited to participate in the YMCA 5K and the Punt, Pass and Kick competition is free and open to all children. For more information, visit the Baseball, Fireworks and Pickle Run Facebook page.