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18th Hobble Gobble raises $15,000 for Potsdam Holiday Fund and other area charities

Posted 11/23/15

By CRAIG FREILICH WEST POTSDAM – More than 500 runners and walkers competed in “perfect” weather in the 2015 Hobble Gobble Prediction Run/Walk Saturday. The event raised more than $15,000 in …

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18th Hobble Gobble raises $15,000 for Potsdam Holiday Fund and other area charities

Posted

By CRAIG FREILICH

WEST POTSDAM – More than 500 runners and walkers competed in “perfect” weather in the 2015 Hobble Gobble Prediction Run/Walk Saturday.

The event raised more than $15,000 in support of the Potsdam Holiday Fund and other area charities.

Race organizer Derry Loucks said that 518 people competed Saturday in “the best weather we ever had” for the event, the 18th in the annual series. “The wind was nonexistent, there were sunny skies. It was perfect,” Loucks said.

Michael Preston of Potsdam won with his prediction on the 3.54 mile short course, being only four-tenths of a second off of his actual time.

Blake McDonnell, Lancanster, Ont., won on the 6.125 mile long course, off by 1.7 seconds.

The grand prize of a stay at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton worth $300 was won by Allan Mooney of Ogdensburg, whose name was drawn from among the contestants.

The annual Commitment Award, given to a local sports-oriented non-profit, went this year to St. Lawrence Valley Paddlers.

The annual fundraiser typically draws participants from all over the state and around the country and the world, and has raised $10,000 or more on race day each year

The event this year was dedicated to the memory of WPDM/WSNN News Director Scott Dosztan, who died suddenly earlier this year.

Loucks said a group of four women on their way from Watertown to compete were traveling a little fast and were pulled over by police, but were let go with a warning after they explained where they were going. “He told them ‘I’ve heard of that,” and let them go,” Loucks said.