Peachtree Corners’ annual “Light Up the Corners” Twilight Trot and Glow Race is returning to the Forum on Peachtree on August 10 for its 12th year of building community, getting some exercise and benefitting a very worthy cause.
Amy Massey, the founder of Light Up the Corners, says 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,” 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 adds.
In its first year, the race had roughly 400 participants. 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.
This year, Light Up the Corners expects over 1,500 attendees.
Massey says: “What sets us apart is that 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.”
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 weekend.
“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.
On top of that, race sponsors will be providing food and samples throughout the night, such as pizza, watermelon and a wide variety of other tastings from The Peachtree Forum restaurants.
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.
OLLI opportunities plan programs in Gwinnett
OLLI@UGA is planning to offer a range of activities in Gwinnett. OLLI is a learning and social community for adults 50+. It offers a range of classes, events, travel opportunities, Shared Interest Groups, all for the love of learning.
Based in Athens, OLLI@UGA plans to have members from all over Northeast Georgia, enhancing their social connections while continuing to learn. OLLI@UGA is a nonprofit supported by the Mary Frances Early College of Education at UGA. The UGA Gwinnett Campus supports this project. The UGA Gwinnett Campus is UGA’s professional campus and is located at 2530 Sever Road near Lawrenceville.
- More information can be found at olli.uga.edu, or by emailing olli@uga.edu, or calling (706) 542 5011.
GGC stays cool while reducing electricity use
Earlier in 2024, underground pipes were installed around the campus in preparation for the new chiller system. Photo provided.During the dog days of summer, the temperatures soar, and so do electric bills. At Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), the buildings remain comfortably cool thanks to a project that started 10 years ago.
GGC’s initial campus buildings were constructed with each using individual air conditioning units located adjacent to the buildings. In early 2015, GGC completed a study to coordinate the campus utility systems with the planned architectural growth. The study focused on developing reliable, energy efficient and sustainable systems for cooling the entire campus.
Terrence Schneider, GGC’s associate vice president of facilities and chief of police, says: “The study determined a centralized chiller system would increase efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and reduce our electricity consumption by as much as 60 percent. This system will need less electricity to run and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is good for the environment.”
Vance Nall, PE, of RMF Engineering, Inc., who serves as a consultant to this project, adds: “In addition to the energy efficiency, a district chilled water system provides significant returns in reduced operating and maintenance costs.”
The central energy plant with the chiller system is part of the college’s Gateway project, which also includes the construction of the Convocation Center that is scheduled to open in October. The plant currently houses the first chiller with room for expansion. The entire chiller project will cover the span of 30 years and will cost approximately $20M.
Schneider also says: “We knew then that investing in a system that is more technologically flexible would allow for the campus to evolve and grow efficiently. A water-cooled system can last 25 years, while the current air-cooling systems last 15 years.”
The first phase of the chiller project, completed in 2017, started with the Student Center and the Daniel J. Kaufman Library and Learning Center. Two years later, it expanded to include Building C.
In 2023, the campus infrastructure phase of the Gateway project got underway to install underground piping to connect the Student Center, library and an additional portion of Building C to the system.
Looking ahead to 2025 and 2026, plans call for the central plant to be fully connected and also include the classrooms and labs for Building H and the Convocation Center. “At that point we’ll start retiring individual chillers that have been serving the buildings for 15 to 24 years,” says Schneider. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2030.
Gateway85 building new sidewalk at Meadowcreek
After 30 years of navigating an uneven footpath in front of Meadowcreek High School in Gwinnett County, students will finally have a safe path that improves their mobility to school courtesy of Gateway85 Community Improvement District (CID). A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the sidewalks along Steve Reynolds Boulevard will be Tuesday, August 13, at 9 a.m.
This new 600-foot sidewalk not only completes a crucial gap, connecting Beaver Ruin Road to Indian Trail Road, but also addresses safety and mobility challenges faced by the school community. The new sidewalk will provide a secure and reliable route for students and community members, linking the school with neighboring apartments where many students live. Gateway85 has designed and built more than 17 miles of sidewalks throughout the district over the past 15 years, significantly improving connectivity.
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