Ormond Fall Classic 5K to welcome runners, walkers from across the area

The Ormond Civic Association is inviting runners, walkers and families from across the area to take part in the Ormond Fall Classic 5K on Oct. 10 at Cypress Lakes Country Club Golf Course in Destrehan. The race begins at 8 a.m.

Participants can register at ormondcivicassociation.com. Adult registration is $40 and youth registration is $15. The event is open to all ages and skill levels, and event organizers said families can also bring strollers and young children.

Cami Chiarella, vice president of the Ormond Civic Association, said all parish residents are welcome to take part in the race.

“Come from wherever,” Chiarella said. “We’d love to have you. We’re wanting everybody to come out and get some fresh air and enjoy themselves. It’s a family event.”

The 3.107-mile course takes participants along the golf course cart path, past ponds and cypress trees. Afterward, participants can gather for a post-race social featuring music, drinks and jambalaya.

Chiarella said the association hopes to draw participants from throughout the area and increase participation this year. She said reaching 200 participants would be ideal, though she would be proud to see between 150 and 170.

Last year, about 120 people participated after the OCA revived the race following an eight-year hiatus. The return of the race is part of a larger effort to revitalize the Ormond Civic Association itself.

The organization had once drawn hundreds of members but had dwindled to about 40 in recent years.

Chiarella said she became involved in the organization after retiring three years ago. She was approached by longtime friend Michele Detillier about serving as vice president while Detillier ran for president. The two recently completed their first two-year term and were reelected in August.

Chiarella credited Detillier with helping lead the association’s resurgence. Membership has since climbed to just under 400.

“The goal was, from the get-go, to get this thing going again and to really clean up our community,” Chiarella said.

Since then, the association has refurbished entrances and concrete pillars along Ormond Boulevard, updated signage and erected an American flagpole at an entrance. The organization also holds social events, including a Christmas wine walk and a pickleball tournament.

Chiarella said money raised through the association is put back into the community. One of its major goals this year is replacing street signs throughout the neighborhood. Proceeds from the 5K will support the civic association and its goals for the year.

For Chiarella, the renewed participation in the association and events such as the 5K are about building a stronger sense of community.

“We meet people of all age groups that are coming into our events and it’s a great opportunity for camaraderie and community,” Chiarella said. “So, it’s really a pride in our community and the pride of taking care of it as well.”

The Ormond Fall Classic is scheduled as a rain-or-shine event, subject to the race director’s discretion.