It is after much thought and consideration that I have come to the conclusion to challenge Mayor Loomis to run against me. I know this may come as a shock to many of you but I truly feel that the Mayor’s past history is a concern for all of us in this town and hope that he finds a way to accept my invitation.

My decision to challenge Mayor Loomis comes after much reflection on the tremendous event that transpired this past Saturday. The First Annual Harvest Run was held at Lambert Park with a huge crowd of concerned Oro Valley citizens on hand. Its purpose was to collect food for the Catalina Community Food Bank as well as to promote good health and camaraderie. As I stood at the starting line, Mayor Loomis was introduced and after a few words to the citizens he officially signaled the race to begin. Well, personally, I don’t think that is enough for the town or for our beloved Mayor. So I am “throwing down the gauntlet.” Next year I’m looking for more out of Mayor Loomis for our town and for himself. I want him to run/walk against me to show that even those over 50 can still stay in shape and help augment supplies for the Food Bank. The race can be of any length that the Mayor feels is appropriate as long as it is a “walk in the park.” My wife Debbie has already said she would accept the challenge to walk stride for stride with our Mayor to help raise food for the hungry and to help be role models for health, exercise, and camaraderie within our community. In fact Debbie has suggested that we extend our challenge to the rest of the council. We hope to show that the Oro Valley Town Council members are not only ready for the “challenge” they face inside Town Hall but also in keeping themselves in good health.

As you can tell it was a very special day at Lambert Park. Dawn Kulesa at Lifestyle and Fitness Coaching and John Corbett at All About Running and Walking were the inspiration and the main sponsors along with NW Medical Center Oro Valley and many other local businesses. Northwest Medical Center/ Oro Valley’s Kim Chimene did a great job in organizing the event.

It was inspiring to see former councilman Paul Parisi involved by running in the event. Former Town Manager Chuck Sweet and his wife Wendy were also there to support the cause. My wife and I gave Chuck and Wendy a good race but they passed us at the 2/3 mark and never looked back.

All in all it was a very inspiring day. The event had 170 participants, collected over 4,000 pounds of food and contibuted $1,500 to the Food Bank. It was a day when our town came together to help feed those in our community who might go hungry and got the bonus of a great workout at the same time. As I stood and watched the sun set on the Santa Catalina Mountains, sharing a “Keva Juice" with my wife, I could not help but feel proud to be a part of such a wonderful day with such wonderful people. Hope to see all of you again next year (plus many more of you!!).

Enjoy the Journey,
Bob

Bob Oro is a husband, parent, dentist and children’s advocate in Oro Valley
Oro Dental Medicine is a proud sponsor of this event

Excerpt: “Enjoy the Journey” by Robert J. Oro