With deepest apologies to Giuseppe Verdi

Hiking the Great Wall of China with my dad and members of the Rochester Oratorio Society in 2008

I’m no athlete, but I do love a good physical challenge.  Maybe that’s why most of my family members scatter when I pull out maps and boots for hiking.

Great Wall of China?  Scaled!  Cinque Terre?  Hiked!  Tallest peak in the Catskills?  Peaked!  (Friends still groan about that one.)  The Rochester marathon?  Yes!  Never again, but yes.

All of this adventuring seems like mere preparation for the greatest challenge of all, dressing up in a strawberry costume and running three miles in the Albion Strawberry festival 5K on Saturday, June 9^th. Early in the morning.

The race is a fundraiser for a health agency in my hometown of Albion, New York.  The village is beautiful, and much of the race will take you along the tranquil Erie Canal towpath.

Anyone who thinks classical music lovers are snobby cultural elitists are hereby dared to lace up their sneaks and race The Berry!

If you beat me to the finish line, you will win a very small, special prize. This means almost everyone will win something, since I am slow. Factor in the felt strawberry costume and green tights and I will be very, very slow.

My teenaged son Jack and I created this promotional video for the event; we offer deepest apologies to Verdi lovers.

See you at the starting line?