Janey Lenox, at left, hands off her donation to Dana Trulock at the Free2Teach supply drive held in Madison last November. (RECORD PHOTO/GREGG PARKER)

MADISON COUNTY – The inaugural “Paper Chase 5K” race will benefit Free 2 Teach, a local nonprofit organization that provides free classroom supplies to teachers.

Race day is Feb. 28 at Constitution Village, 109 Gates Ave. in Huntsville. Packet pickup and registration at the race will open at 7 a.m. The race will start at 8 a.m., with awards presentation at 9:30 a.m.

“Every year, teachers spend hundreds of dollars on supplies for their classrooms out of their own pockets,” volunteer Dana Trulock said. “Free 2 Teach helps to reduce that burden by supplying free school supplies to teachers in Madison County’s three school systems: Madison City, Huntsville City and Madison County.”

The Free 2 Teach store’s address is 3054 Leeman Ferry Road in Huntsville.

“Education is a top priority in Madison, and we are thrilled to support Free 2 Teach in the important work they do any way we can,” Trulock said.

To expedite the race start on Feb. 28, race organizers encourage runners to pick up registration packets on Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Fleet Feet Sports, 2722 Carl T. Jones Drive SE, Suite B2 in Huntsville.

The race will be timed on an USTAF-certified (#AL07016JD) course.

Prizes will be awarded for overall male and female runners, overall male and female master (40 years and older) and the top three finishers of each age group. Runners who register before Feb. 11 are guaranteed to receive a T-shirt.

“Madison teachers are so grateful for Free 2 Teach supplies that truly help create a rich learning environment for our kids. Having the right tools and an engaging classroom can take a classroom from good to great,” Trulock said.

More than 3,800 teachers and their 52,000 students in Madison County can benefit from no-cost provisions at Free 2 Teach, Trulock said.

“The Paper Chase Run is a really fun way we can make a difference for our kids,” Trulock said. “What could be better than that?”

For more information, visit free-2-teach.org/supplylist.