These days it’s hard to plan anything too far in advance without the possibility of a cancellation or postponement due to the pandemic. At The Neighborhood House, we have made a conscientious effort to keep our program schedule running as normally as possible with some added protocols to meet or exceed Covid-19 guidelines offered by the State CDC. Temporarily adapting our summer day camp program into individual activity blocks, or going “carryout” with our Community Cafe are two examples of that.

The recent spike in cases of Covid-19 and onset of community transmission throughout Maine has made vigilantly following the issued guidelines more critical than ever before. For a welcoming event like our annual “Frosty 5K” that would mean limiting participation to 50, requiring face coverings be worn for the entirety of the race, and no pre or post-race gathering (even with masks). In fact, the State of Maine actually recommends that “road races” not be held at this time.

All that said, the Frosty 5K has always been a fun and inclusive gathering, and dutifully adhering to these protocols would eliminate much of that feeling. Therefore, we have decided to “press pause” on the Frosty 5K (originally scheduled for Dec. 5), and hold it at a time (hopefully soon!) when the prevalence of Covid has recessed to the point where masks do not need to be worn during the race, and when we can safely gather for awards, etc. with only some simple social distancing. Our primary goal is the health and well-being of our community, and we strongly feel that forgoing the event until a later date is by far the best decision for everyone.

Keep your eyes peeled for updates about the Frosty 5K makeup date (it might end up being the not-so-Frosty 5K), and in the meantime please look out for your neighbors and make decisions that will keep you and your loved ones safe.