St. Luke’s Palmerton Campus will hold its 17th Annual “Five and Dime” (5 kilometer /10 kilometer) Road Race and Kid’s Fun Run.

The event will be held May 12 in the Palmerton Borough Park, and will begin at 8 a.m., with check-in and registration.

The 10K will begin at 9 a.m., the 5K at 9:15 a.m. and the Run/Walk at 10:15 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony at around 10:30 a.m.

Music and refreshments will be a part of the event.

Athletes from across the country have taken part in this annual event, which includes male and female participants in all age divisions.

Awards for the races are given to the top overall male and female runners. Stethoscope awards are awarded to the top three male and female finishers in the age categories of 12 and under; 13-18; 19-29; 30-29; 40-49; 50-59, and 60 and over. There is also a team competition in which awards are given for the largest team, largest family team, fastest team and team that raises the most money.

The event is presented by St. Luke’s Palmerton Campus Medical Staff.

Michael Martinez, MD, chief of surgery at St. Luke’s Palmerton Campus, and Nancy Collins, RN, a longtime registered nurse at the campus, are the chairpersons.

“This 5K/10K is a great event and it’s amazing to see how this race has grown from 100 runners to the size it is today,” Martinez said. “We have many return runners and our 5000 meter course is certified by the USA Track and Field, so that is a big draw for many runners in the area.” (USATF certification means that an official world record could be set on the 5K course.)

Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the St. Luke’s Mobile Dental Clinic, which provides Medicaid-eligible children from school districts in Carbon and eastern Schuylkill counties with biannual checkups, cleanings and restorative services.

“We take care of our race participants because without them, we couldn’t raise the funds for the St. Luke’s Mobile Dental Van, which provides dental care to more than 2,500 students in our region,” Collins said. “It’s a program that is very important to our community.”

For more information, or to register for the race, visit www.bmhs5k.com, or call 377-7350.