Community
Peachtree Corners Shines Bright with Light Up the Corners Glow Race this August
Peachtree Corners’ annual Light Up the Corners Twilight Trot and Glow Race is returning to the Forum on Aug. 10 for its 13th year of building community, getting some exercise and benefitting a very worthy cause.
Amy Massey, the founder of Light Up the Corners, said her inspiration for the nonprofit came from serving on the board of the Fowler YMCA for 10 years.
“I was always looking for ways to raise money for [Fowler YMCA’s] annual campaign. And I rotated off about 12 years ago or 13 years ago. At that time, I was looking for ways to raise money, and the City of Peachtree Corners was talking about becoming a city through UPCCA,” she explained.
“I’m a runner and I was a member of the Y, and we had a running group out of the Y. So, I just recruited some of my running friends and decided we would start a race in Peachtree Corners,” Massey added.
Bigger and better
In its first year, the race had roughly 400 participants. Not a bad turnout for the inaugural event, but Massey and her team of volunteers quickly started brainstorming on how to attract more runners.
“We talked about doing a glow run, and that’s when it changed. So, in year two, we did our first glow run. This year will be our 11th annual glow run and our 12th run altogether. And then we took one year off during COVID,” said Massey.
It’s my baby,” she added. “But I could not do it without the help of my friends and running partners who have been with me all the way. We have some of the same volunteers on our committee now as we did when we started out.”
This year, Light Up the Corners expects over 1,500 attendees.
“There are a lot of glow runs out there that are more of adult-focused parties. But ours truly is a coming together of people of all ages and all walks of life,” said Massey.
“That’s what sets us apart because our largest demographic in terms of age groups is the 10 to 19 range. A lot of school-age kids come out, a lot of young kids with their parents. We have 300 little kids who sign up for the Twilight Trot, which is just half a mile long. And so that attracts the little ones. It’s heartwarming to see people of all ages come together and it’s a healthy fitness-focused, family-friendly community activity,” she added.
A big, family-friendly party
In addition to two races: a Twilight Trot 1K for the kids, and a 4-mile Glow Race for the adults, the Forum will be showcasing its new plazas. The pre-party and Glow after party will be held on the Grand Plaza which is set to open on that very weekend.
“Each participant gets a lot of glow swag, we want to make sure everybody lights up the course as they’re running around Peachtree Corners, and also to keep them safe so everyone gets that and a glow baton,” explained Massey.
“We welcome runners, walkers and people of all ages. It is more about the fun and the excitement of coming together as a community than it is about racing or setting any speed records,” she added.
The Forum has also hired Yvonne Monet, a radio personality and DJ with Q99.7, to entertain eventgoers and keep the energy up with great music. There will also be face painting and neon fingernail painting, along with roaming entertainers on roller skates and more, courtesy of the Forum.
On top of that, race sponsors will be providing food and samples throughout the night, like pizza, watermelon and a wide variety of other tastings from The Forum restaurants.
Coming together for a worthwhile cause
Light Up the Corners is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit run entirely by volunteers. There are no paid positions at all, and 100% of proceeds go to the Why it Matters Campaign at the Fowler Y.
“All money stays local, and it is a passion of our committee to help the Y through this campaign. We believe that all people, regardless of their ability to pay, deserve to benefit from the programs and services at the YMCA. And they have a sliding scale that they use to provide financial assistance to people,” said Massey.
“There’s a wide range of programs and services, and I’ve seen firsthand the work that they do there and the life-changing effects that it has had on so many people in our community,” she added.
Sponsors are also fundamental to the event’s success.
Without the support of sponsorships and generous donations, there would likely not even be a race because the associated costs would cancel out the registration fees, explained Massey. Sponsors allow Light Up the Corners to offset all costs of the event so that 100% of registration fees by individuals go directly to the YMCA.
“I will say that North American Properties, when acquired The Forum, have gotten behind this event 110%. They have been amazing in their support and generosity in providing the tents, the entertainment and the backbreaking work of setting up something like this,” said Massey. “We couldn’t do it without them or the City of Peachtree Corners which has been a title sponsor since day one.”
Fun fact: For the first time, Light Up the Corners held an open competition to see who in the community could design the best t-shirt logo for this year’s race. Daniel Lee was chosen out of over 30 submissions and was awarded $1,000 for his efforts.
To participate in the annual Light Up the Corners Glow Run, register at lightupthecorners.com or simply line up on the racecourse and cheer the runners on as a spectator. To become one of over 200 volunteers, email Amy Massey at amassey@runthecorners.com.
Olympian Jasmine Jones, a standout alumna of Greater Atlanta Christian School (Class of 2020), returned to her alma mater on September 12 to speak to and inspire the next generation of students there.
GAC staff interviewed Jones and also took questions from the students during a Q&A session that included every grade level.
As a member of the U.S. Olympic team and a 12-time Georgia state individual champion during her time at GAC, Jasmine’s visit was a homecoming filled with motivation and reflection. She spoke passionately to the students about the importance of perseverance, goal-setting, and embracing challenges, drawing from her journey from GAC to the University of Southern California and the global stage of the Olympics.
Jones qualified for the Paris Olympics on June 30 and made the U.S. team in women’s 400m hurdles after placing third. She went on to place fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris games.
Students and staff at GAC cheered Jones on during the Olympics. And they cheered her again as she took to the school’s stage to address the audience. Before and after the event, Jones posed for photos, gave high-fives and took time connect with some of GAC’s enthusiastic students and faculty.
Her words — and her accomplishments — left a powerful impression on the crowd, reminding everyone of the heights that can be achieved with dedication and faith.
For more about GACS, visit greateratlantachristian.org.
The renowned performers wowed the audience with a thrilling presentation of dance, drama and fun.
Staff, students and board members of the International Charter Academy of Georgia were given a short-but-thrilling taste of Kabuki when dancers from Miyabiya Japan stopped by the school on September 16 for a special performance.
Offering a preview of the full show they’d prepared for center stage at JapanFest 2024, the troop presented a special short section of a dance titled “Renjishi: The Two Lions.”
Considered one of the most famous pieces in Kabuki, Renjishi is known for its powerful choreography and dramatic expression. It tells the story of the relationship between a father lion and his young son. The powerful movements, dramatic expressions and percussive sound effects symbolize the passing of strength and legacy from one generation to the next.
How the show came about
Miyabiya Japan last appeared at JapanFest in 2016 to great acclaim. This year, with the excitement of their return, the performers made plans to offer a few shorter performances at other places around town in the week leading up to the festival.
Robert Johnson, an advisory board member of ICAGeorgia and a long-time friend of JapanFest and the Miyabiya troop, knew the dual-language, Japanese immersion school would be a great place for one of the shows. He helped organize the day’s demonstration and was on-hand to talk to the crowd and introduce the performers.
The performance
It was the first time having a Kabuki performance at ICAGeorgia. And, as students filed into the school’s gym, the excitement was palpable. The room was humming with happy voices before the show even began.
Johnson greeted the kids with a smile before introducing the award-winning Kabuki troop in both English and Japanese.
“This special group from Japan will be performing at JapanFest, but today they’re performing here for you,” he told the excited crowd.
He went on to explain, “Kabuki is a special form of very dramatic and traditional Japanese dance. Two dancers today will do the Lion Dance.” The youngest children in the crowd shrieked with delight when they heard the name.
“The Lion Dance is like the story of the Lion King,” he continued, “with an otousan (father) lion with a long white mane and his son with a bright red mane.”
After the short explanation of what to expect, Johnson instructed the students (and the adults in the audience) to call for the performers to come out. To the sounds of “Miyabi-ya, miyabi-ya,” from the crowd, the dancers bounded out into the room, onto the space set up for their performance. They greeted Mr. Johnson and the students before getting into the story.
An interactive experience
The show started with a brief instruction of Kabuki movements that got the audience on its feet, following the red lion’s lead. It ended with a bang of confetti that thrilled (and surprised) everyone there.
In between, the story of the two lions was beautifully expressed through the performers’ detailed costumes, traditional kumadori makeup, exaggerated expressions and dramatic movements. At times, the dancers even made their way into the audience. Students and adults alike were riveted from start to finish.
“I’m happy to have the performers come to our school,” said Junko Jones, a founding board member and CFO of ICAGeorgia. “Not all of the students will be able to go to JapanFest. So, it’s nice that they can experience Japan here.”
About ICAGeorgia
The International Charter School of Georgia is a K-6 Japanese immersion school located in Peachtree Corners. They currently have 250 students, with plans to expand the school to offer Grades 7–8 in the future.
Eighty-one of the students will sing onstage at JapanFest September 21 at 1pm. This will be school’s sixth time performing at the festival, having been there every year since the school opened. The students also performed at the state capital in January for Japan Day.
For more information about ICAGeorgia, visit internationalcharteracademy.org.
For more about JapanFest and Miyabiya Japan, visit japanfest.org
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