Half-marathon set for Sunday morning

As part of this year’s Choochokam Arts festival in Langley, a half-marathon 13.1-mile event will be run on Sunday morning.

The race begins at 8:30 a.m. July 13 at the corner of Second and De Bruyn avenues, heads out along Saratoga Road to Fox Spit Road and back to downtown. Water stations will be spaced along the course.

The awards ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on the Main Stage next to the Dog House Tavern.

The cost is $40 per person and part of the proceeds will benefit the South Whidbey Community Center Foundation.

Runners can register today at the Choochokam booth on Anthes Avenue, on the morning of the race or online at www.langleyhalfmarathon.com.

Race sponsors include Half-Link Bicycles, Island Athletic Club and the Star Store.

Falcons learn a few things at camp

A record 48 prospective South Whidbey football players attended the summer training camp at the University of Washington during the last week of June.

“It was a great experience,” said Falcon coach Mark Hodson. “There were 14 schools, including several squads from big 4A schools such as Lake Washington and Kent.”

The boys had four scrimmages of 35 minutes each day. Afterwards, Husky coaches worked individually with the players on offense and defense.

“The guys had a lot of playing time,” Hodson noted.

“We’re going to be bigger on the line this year, but my concern is for the starting linebackers; we lost three of five to graduation,” Hodson added. “It’s a matter of getting the right players into the right slots.”

Hodson said fans can expect to see more offensive weapons and greater depth at the skill positions this fall; wide receiver, running back and quarterback.

First practice begins Wednesday, Aug. 20 at Waterman Field for football, and Aug. 25 for cross country, boy’s tennis, girl’s soccer and volleyball.

Football camp for South End kids

The South Whidbey Youth Football League will hold a one-day football activities camp on July 19.

The camp will be held at Fort Nugent Park in Oak Harbor and is designed to provide players from 6 to 13 with training and drills in the sport.

The camp runs from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 19. Lunch and a T-shirt will be provided but organizers ask parents to make sure their children have plenty of water.

The fee is $15. Registration at www.eteamz.com/oakharborfootball.

For details, call Mark Schroeder at 360-632-8416.

Freeland chamber gears up for golf

The weather is looking more like summer, and the golfers are coming out just in time for the 10th annual Freeland Chamber Open Golf Classic.

The tournament is open to all golfers. The registration fee for a foursome is $360 or individuals can register at $90 each.

The event will take place at noon Sunday, July 27. The shotgun start is 2 p.m. and the tournament will be a scramble format.

The fee includes a barbecue lunch, green fees at Useless Bay Golf Course, use of the driving range and dinner afterward at Useless Bay Country Club.

Two hole-in-one opportunities are available, with prizes of $10,000 each for the lucky golfer that lands one. The hole-in-one sponsors are Whidbey Island Bank and Northwest Mortgage Consultants.

Other sponsors include Whidbey Telecom, Porter Whidbey Insurance, Whidbey Vision Clinic, Houdini’s Billiards, MacGregor Publishing, Wescott Floor Covering, Coastal Community Bank, State Farm Insurance, Todd Bitts, Cathy West, Nichols Brothers and Coldwell Banker. There are still several hole and contest sponsorships available. The fees range from $100 to $250 for the sponsorships.

After the golfers return there will be a banquet dinner at Useless Bay Country Club and a silent auction.

Last year the silent auction featured such items as bed-and-breakfast stays, wine baskets, Mariner tickets, graphic services, books, home-baked goodies, jewelry and gift certificates.

This event is the one main fundraiser for the chamber. Registration forms for golf or sponsorship can be found at the chamber office and many local Freeland businesses, including Sound Business Center, Whidbey Vision Care and China City.

For details, call the Freeland Chamber office at 331-1980.

Golf classic raises money for college

The 16th annual Whidbey Island Golf Classic raised more than $43,000 for Skagit Valley College, with proceeds going to support scholarships and program enhancements for students attending SVC’s Whidbey Island Campus.

This year, 108 golfers participated in the June 20 fundraiser, held at the Whidbey Golf and Country Club in Oak Harbor.

Golfers enjoyed a raffle, barbecue lunch, games and refreshments throughout the course. At the end of the day, players were treated to a prime rib and salmon dinner, as well as a live auction.

“We would like to thank our outstanding community donors and supporters who made this event so wonderful,” said organizer Kelli Tolf. “The day was a huge success thanks to the support of a great tournament committee, a loyal list of volunteers and friends of the college and the foundation.”