New 5K event promotes West Side health, fitness, public art

(Oct. 20, 2003)--San Anto Cultural Arts (SACA), a local nonprofit organization, and honorary co-chairs District 5 City Councilwoman Patti Radle and UTSA President Ricardo Romo announced Oct. 15 the birth of San Antonio's newest community health event.

The Corazon y Familia Mural 5K Run/Walk is Saturday, Nov. 8 at Plaza Avenida Guadalupe, 1327 Guadalupe Street, in the heart of the city's West Side. Race day registration begins at 7:30 a.m.

Pre-registration is $15, $20 on race day. The event is free to residents of the 78207 zip code.

For a registration form or more information, call 210-226-7466 or visit the SACA Web site.

The event promotes health and fitness while serving as a showcase for the murals and public art produced by San Anto Cultural Arts' Community Mural Program. The Mural 5K route guides participants through the surrounding community and past 18 murals created by West Side residents.

Pictured are West Side residents at the public art mural, "Peace and Remembrance," completed in February 2001. Dedicated to victims of violence in the immediate community, the mural was designed by four young artists -- one was age 12 and three were 13. The mural includes the names of victims and serves as a functional altar and includes flower holders mounted on the wall to enable residents to memorialize loved ones. Artists were Crystal Torres, Angela Ybarra, Julie Ibarra and Katie Bone. Project facilitators were Patti Radle and Claudio Aguillon.

"This is a very exciting event for us," said SACA Executive Director Manuel Castillo. "As our mural program has grown within our West Side Mural District, we knew that some day we would be able to organize a 5K routed along our murals. That day has come."

The Mural 5K culminates with refreshments, live music and entertainment and free health screenings. All participants receive a free T-shirt and commemorative ribbon.

Major sponsors for the event include HEB Making Connections and City Public Service.

Founded in 1993, San Anto Cultural Arts is a nonprofit community organization that operates the Community Mural Project, the Video Oral History and Documentary Project and El Placazo community newspaper.

SACA's mission is to provide people of all socioeconomic backgrounds with tools to realize their creative skills in art, journalism and video production and documentation as a way to foster community, social, educational, human and community development.