Friends of Parkinson’s holds their annual fundraiser in April every month, as that’s Parkinson’s Awareness Month. This month, Parkinson’s Awareness Day was a Saturday, so they were fortunate enough to hold the race on the actual day.
The race was at Wayne Bunker Park, so I was ready for a repeat of the Labor Day 5k. However, different race organizers approach the same park in different ways!
Pre-Race
Packet pick-up was the Thursday before the race at REI. The packet included one of the most adorable race bibs I’ve seen and a t-shirt that was a little more basic. Jus Run also offered free bib clips as well as safety pins.
While there were high winds that morning, they died off just before the warm-up. A quick run-through of a few exercises and stretches with one of the sponsors and the bunny mascot were fun and engaging. I had a few friends join me for the warm-up, which was really rewarding. It was great to have a few folks on my team!
The Funny Bunny 5k Route
This route looped around the retaining basin south of the park, similar to the Labor Day 5k. The difference was that it down into the retaining basin to skirt around the dog park, and doubled back. Instead of two loops, where you see the same thing from the same direction twice, you see the same thing from two different directions.
Post-Race Party & Swag
There was so much to do after the race. Sponsor booths, a food truck, a kids’ market, and an egg hunt all added to the atmosphere. There was a raffle and a silent auction, both with some neat prizes, like a BBQ grill and a scooter.
Prizes went to the top 3 of each gender overall, then to biggest team and biggest fundraiser.
My buddy actually won the male category! And I ran into another friend from my chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution. It was great to connect on another interest besides history.
Funny Bunny Race 2026 Recap
The Funny Bunny Race was a fun community-building event. It had good energy, and funds went to a good cause. So if you want to do a paid race at Wayne Bunker Park, go for Funny Bunny! I will do this race next year for sure.
