The Heron Bay Community Liaison Committee is hosting a Blood Drive on Saturday, February 27 . The American Red Cross will be parking the Blood Mobile at the Sales and Information Center from 10AM to 3PM. All residents at the Atlanta lake community are encouraged bring friends and family members to donate blood.

Any participants donating blood or platelets between January 1 and March 31, 2010 are entered into a drawing for a $1000 gift card.  Join the effort to help those in need of lifesaving blood.

Appointments can be made by visiting www.redcrossblood.org. The sponsor code is “heronbay”. (more…)

Picture yourself sitting at home and looking out over the street. Suddenly 300 people of varying ages come rushing past your window. Some are in traditional running gear while others are decked out from head to toe in Halloween costumes.

This was the sight for many Heron Bay Golf & Country Club members the morning of October 24 when residents of the master planned community came out to run in the sixth annual Goblin Gallop.

Despite the current state of the economy this year’s event was the best to date, drawing over 300 participants. (more…)

Are you interested in promoting physical activity and giving back to the community all at the same time? Is so, we have the race for you!

Heron Bay Golf and Country Club and the Hands of Hope Clinic are looking for organizations and businesses to sponsor the Sixth Annual Goblin Gallop 6K, 1 mile Run/Walk and Tot Trot scheduled to take place at Heron Bay Golf and Country Club on October 24. The race will benefit Henry County’s Hands of Hope Clinic, Henry County’s only free medical and dental clinic.

Sponsorships are available in the following amounts.

Great Pumpkin–$2,000

Jack-O-Lantern–$1,500 (more…)

It’s another stellar year for the Goblin Gallop and Heron Bay would like to thank all of those that came out to participate. Not only was it a stellar year, but this year’s Goblin Gallop was a record breaking event, with more than 250 participants and raising over $25,000 for the Hands of Hope Clinic. Everyone should give themselves a nice pat on the back for a job well done.

Sponsorship dollars, registration fees and raffle ticket sales all benefited the Hands of Hope Clinic, a free Christian medical clinic in Henry County. The clinic operates every Monday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 1010 Hospital Drive on the campus of Henry Medical Center. Its commitment is to provide any resident of the county who does not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, has no private health insurance and who cannot afford to see a doctor, with basic medical care and free medications as available. Hands of Hope Clinic relies on help from volunteers, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, therapists, and other various healthcare personnel and is financially supported through its volunteers and charitable donations. All monies raised during the Goblin Gallop and plasma television raffle support the clinic. (more…)

I am sure you may have heard enough about the Goblin Gallop, but we just wanted to remind you that it is not too late to become a sponsor for the 6K race taking place on Saturday. The sponsors are crucial to the success of the event, and we have high hopes for this year’s event. Because of the generosity of sponsors, we are able to cover all of the necessary up-front costs for the event as well as raise funds to benefit the Hands of Hope Clinic. We have a sponsorship goal this year of $25,000 and are so very close to it. So, encourage your boss and your company to lend a helping hand to the Goblin Gallop so that we can meet this high goal. For more information about sponsorship, call 770-507-1344 or visit the Hands of Hope Clinic website.

Various levels of sponsorship from the $20 Ghost Runner level to the $2,000 Great Pumpkin level are available. All sponsors will be recognized during the event for their participation. The event, a 6K run, 1mile Run/Walk and Tot Trot, is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2008. (more…)

With only about 10 days left before the big event, it’s time to get serious about registering for the Goblin Gallop. The event, a 6K run, 1mile Run/Walk and Tot Trot, is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2008. Pre-registration is beneficial to you as it saves you money and time on the day of the race. Pre-registration is now being accepted, just visit the Heron Bay Golf and Country Club website and click on the Goblin Gallop icon. The cost is as follows: 6K Run – $15, Pre-registration, $20 at the door; 1 Mile Run/Walk – $10 Pre-registration, $15 at the door and “Tot Trot” ages 5 and under, 60 yards – no charge.

Now that registration is taken care of, it’s time to focus on that costume of yours. Remember, the more creative the better! Prizes will be awarded for the best costume, so don’t hesitate to go all out for this one. This is a family fun event, so people of all ages are invited to dress in their favorite Halloween costumes and spend an evening taking advantage of the beautiful fall weather. (more…)

I cannot believe the Goblin Gallop is only a couple of weeks away! I don’t know about you, but I have been training so hard – trying to avoid a repeat of last year. If you didn’t participate last year, then you missed me struggling to breathe as I crossed the finish line and collapsing only about three feet after the finish. This is especially embarrassing because I even cheated throughout the course by sporadically using my wings. It definitely wasn’t one of my finer moments, but that’s what I get for thinking I could run almost (more…)

Heron Bay’s most popular resident, Henry Heron, is working hard to get ready for the Goblin Gallop which is only one month away. Of course you can read about his goals for the race this year on his journal or on the blog on his MySpace page. However, the bottom line is that he is excited to be participating this year, and wants many of his neighbors to participate as well. The race is at Heron Bay, through the lovely wooded streets of the community, so convenience is not a problem. All proceeds benefit the Hands of Hope Clinic in Henry County, so you are running for a great cause. Last year, the Goblin Gallop raised more than $20,000 for the medical and dental clinic, and, while that is definitely a number to be proud of, we would love to see it increase this year. Don’t worry about missing the UGA/LSU game because the game will be shown on a Plasma TV screen at the event. (more…)

The Goblin Gallop is exactly eight weeks from today, which means even if you start training today, you will be in perfect shape to complete the 6K run. Don’t believe me? There is an easy training schedule that will get you from the couch to a 5 K in only 8 weeks. I know that the Goblin Gallop is a 6K not a 5 K, but if you are in good enough shape for a 5 K, the Goblin Gallop will be an easy transition. Just follow this training schedule that promises a fun, easy transition into running. The whole point of this schedule is not to over-exert yourself so that you do enjoy your exercise. The best part is that by beginning your training now means cooler temperatures on the horizon and running will not be as painful as it would have in the heat of the summer. You also have eight full weeks to plan your costume. A great idea would be to get a group of friends together and dress up in coordinating outfits! Prizes will be awarded to exceptional costumes, so don’t procrastinate until the last minute. (more…)

Haley, Spalding, Helen and I have spent recent late summer afternoons practicing our gallops. Galloping is okay if you’re a horse, but it’s a bit difficult for a heron. And we have to make sure we’re ready because the firth annual Goblin Gallop is October 25th – only a couple of months away!

The Goblin Gallop is Heron Bay’s fundraiser for the Hands of Hope Clinic, which provides medical and dental services to uninsured residents of Henry County. Last year, more than 230 of us participated and raised more than $20,000 for the clinic.

To prepare for this year’s Goblin Gallop, our family is doing a few critical things. Helen and I are preparing for the 6K run, and Haley and Spalding are gearing up for the one mile run. Haley’s planning on helping with the tot trot for some of her preschool friends, too.

Just as important as our training, we’re planning our costumes.  Spalding and Haley are both eager to win the prize for the most creative costume, so they’re working on something both unexpected and easy to run in.

The third thing we’re doing is recruiting our friends to run. After all, the Hope Clinic will get more money, and more of our favorite people will have the chance to fall in love with Heron Bay. When I mentioned it at work, I immediately ran into a snag with my friends who attended the University of Georgia – it would appear the Dawgs are playing LSU that day. A quick call to the folks at Heron Bay let me know they really do think of everything. They’re broadcasting the game on a plasma television during the race. And guess what – they’re going to raffle the tv off after the race! That’s more money for the Hands of Hope Clinic, and more hope for me finally getting the tv I’ve always wanted! Helen and I each got a raffle ticket just for registering for the 6K.

Anyone who wants to participate can pre-register at www.HeronBayInfo.com or for a slightly higher fee, register onsite the day of the event. The 6K is $15 ($20 at the door), and the one mile run/walk is $10 ($15 at the door). The 60-yard Tot Trot for ages five and under is free.

If you see our family training around the neighborhood, please stop and say hello. We’ll be the only herons who are attempting to gallop!