Macon, Georgia - The Georgia Library Association (GLA) and Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) will sponsor the third annual Pat Carterette Memorial Run/Walk in Macon Thursday, Oct. 10th at the Ocmulgee Heritage River Trail.
The event will be part of the 25th annual Georgia Council of Media Organizations (COMO) Conference, which will take place Oct. 9th-11th. As many as 800 librarians, library administrators, and staff members are expected to attend the conference.
Since 2011, GLA and GPLS have hosted the Pat Carterette Memorial Run/Walk to honor their beloved colleague, an avid runner who lost her battle with cancer in January of that year. As director of continuing education for GPLS, Carterette's work positively influenced hundreds of librarians across Georgia and, through her involvement with numerous American Library Association initiatives, nationwide.
"Pat was truly one of a kind," said Diana Very, GLA president and director of LSTA, Statistics and Research for GPLS. "We want this event to capture her persuasiveness to motivate people, encourage them to participate in COMO and instill in them a sense of excitement about the great things that are happening at libraries across the state."
Very is coordinating this year's run with assistance from PINES Program Director Elizabeth McKinney.
"The thing I will always remember about Pat is the way she encouraged folks to start small and push themselves," said McKinney. "She inspired everyone to do more than what they had done previously, and she would always congratulate us on our accomplishments."
Participants in the 3.5-mile, out-and-back run should meet in the Macon Marriott City Center Lobby at 5:55 a.m. on Oct. 10th. The runners group will begin the flat-terrain trek at 6:00 a.m., with the walkers group following a few minutes later.
