By Richelle Primm, Star Valley Chamber of Commerce

The Salt River Community Foundation invites you to its 3rd annual Salt River Filthy 5k-ish on Saturday, August 10. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and the first heat will run at 10 a.m.

“We’ve got nothing but super positive feedback,” Ashlea Berger, founder and president of the Salt River Community Foundation, said about those who participated in the past mud runs.

Berger said this is a more family friendly event than an athletic run and it’s more about community involvement.

“We’ve had two year olds run the course,” she said. “It’s not very difficult, you can choose to walk and you don’t have to do the obstacles.”

Berger said there will also be some fun new additions to the course this year thanks to the Alpine Fire Department and the Town of Alpine.

“Every year it gets muddier and muddier, and I don’t anticipate that changing this year,” she said.
This is the only fundraiser the Salt River Community Foundation holds each year to help fund the services they provide to the community.

The Salt River Community Foundation mainly serves community members during their personal time of need by providing monetary assistance or material possessions, such as clothing, cookware, and other items needed for daily living.

When asked how Salt River Community Foundation was originated, Berger said it began by a small act she was inspired to do for some kids at her daughter’s school.

“When I was volunteering at the school when my daughter was young I saw kids who were not adequately dressed for the winters out here, so I bought clothes for them,” Berger said.

Later, when Berger shared the experience with her husband, she said he gave her some advice that sparked the idea for the Foundation.

She continued, “He said if I wanted to keep helping community members in this way, I needed to think bigger.”

She started talking to other residents who had a background in social services and learned there wasn’t really a focus for that from the Bedford to Alpine area, Berger said.

From there, Berger took the necessary steps to make her organization an official 501c3 nonprofit as of 2016.

“I wish everyone knew about our organization,” Berger said. “The more people know about us, the more people will donate to our cause and the more people would use our services.”

The Salt River Community Foundation is grateful for the donations they receive, whether its monetary or material items, Berger said.

She said they also appreciate the local businesses and individuals in Star Valley who sponsor the Filthy 5k-ish.
The mud run will be at the field next to the American Legion Ball Park in Alpine. You can register for the race by going to www.active.com and searching for their event.

Each heat is divided into 10-15 runners, but if there’s bigger groups who’d like to run together, that’s usually permitted, Berger said.

You can contact the Salt River Community Foundation by visiting their Facebook page, Salt River Community Foundation and chatting with one of the board members. You can also email saltrivercf@gmail.com or by calling 307-690-1116.