FLATWOODS – The 2021 Kiwanis Reindeer Run will be a live in-person event held simultaneously with the club’s annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 11, at Russell High School/Middle School.

The Reindeer Run, a 5K run/walk, will start and finish in the parking area adjacent to the RHS football field. The Breakfast with Santa will be in the Russell Middle School cafeteria.

Both events are sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of East Greenup County, Ky., which has sponsored Run By The River for the past 44 years. The Reindeer Run launched in 2020 as a virtual race because of restrictions imposed by the Covid 19 pandemic, which resulted in Run By The River being a virtual race the past two years and the Breakfast With Santa being canceled altogether last year.

This year Reindeer Run will relaunch as a live fun run, with a starting time of 8:30 a.m. It will start on Red Devil Lane then use the sidewalk that circles the school and adjoining property back to the starting point.

Runners will travel from Red Devil Lane to Diederich Blvd., to Kenwood Drive, then to Gesling Rd., to KY 750, to KY 1172 and back to the school parking area and the Middle School cafeteria where the Breakfast With Santa is being held.

Preregistration for the run is under way on Tri-State Racer’s web site. Cost is $25 for all ages. Registered runners will receive a long sleeve shirt with the run logo, a special Reindeer Run Christmas ornament, and a ticket to attend the pancake breakfast after the run.

Day of race registration will open at 7 a.m. and the cost will be the same. Shirts and Christmas ornaments will be mailed to runners 7-10 days after the event.

To make it fun, runners are encouraged to dress up a bit for the occasion. Gift card will be awarded to the best costumes, like best reindeer, elf, snowman, Grinch, Christmas tree; use your imagination.

While runners will get a free ticket to the pancake breakfast the entire tri-state community is invited to come with the kiddies and visit Santa, who will be available from 8 to 11 a.m. He will start the run at 8:30 using his sleigh bells.

He’ll be in the cafeteria until 11, so bring the kids and a camera.

The breakfast will be all-you-can-eat pancakes, served with sausage and milk, orange juice and coffee. Cost is: Adults $6, Children ages 4-12 $4; and children 3 and under Free.

Funds raised through these events will be used for Kiwanis youth projects, including a donation to the Russell FOP Lodge for its annual “Shop With A Cop” program, scholarships for Key Club students at Russell and Raceland High School, the Greenup Library Summer Reading Program, and unrestricted funds for the Youth Services Centers at Greenup, Raceland and Russell school systems to provide students with whatever they need to help with their education.