A boy sprints to the lead at the 2012 Helen P. Lee Memorial Fun Run at Madison Public Library. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – A race for children will bring smiles, launch summer fun and pay homage to a respected leader at Madison Public Library.

The annual Helen P. Lee Memorial Fun Run on June 1 from 8 to 10 a.m. will officially kick off the summer reading program, youth services librarian Maggie Allen said.

Toddlers through fourth-graders can enter the Fun Run. “We’ll even have a stroller race for parents with babies,” Allen said. “We’ve even done grandparents’ races.” Families will register at 8 a.m., with the first run at 8:15 a.m.

“Winners will receive ribbons and a generous round of applause and sense of accomplishment,” Allen said.

After the races, the crowd can enjoy games, goofy relays with water balloons and in potato sacks, face painting, crafts and birthday cake for the library’s 16th anniversary.

Friends of the Madison Public Library sponsor the Helen P Lee Memorial Fun Run.

“Not only does the fun run get the kids excited about the library’s summer reading program but it also gets kids up and off the couch and exercising first thing in the morning,” Allen said. “What more could you ask for as a parent?”

“Dig Into Reading” is the 2013 summer reading theme. “We’ll have favorites like Mr. Krugh’s magic program and Little Gym back again and tons of new science programs as part of our Discover Tech program,” Allen said.

For a full schedule of summer events, visit al.evanced.info/hmcpl/lib/eventcalendar.asp or attend the fun run to receive a calendar of events.

Helen Lee served as Madison branch manager for five years before her death to cancer in 2008. “Helen loved the library and was an avid runner. She left behind a lasting legacy for staff and patrons alike,” Friends president Stephenie Walker said.

The Friends established the Helen P. Lee Memorial Endowment. To donate, visit the Madison branch or mail to Helen P. Lee Memorial Endowment, c/o Huntsville Library Foundation, P.O. Box 443, Huntsville, AL 35804.