Stars, Stripes & Steps

in United States at Centennial Park, 245 North Garden Street

Online registration is now closed. YOU MAY REGISTER IN PERSON at packet pick-up, Friday, September 18, 245 North Garden Street from 5:00 to 6:30 or at the event on Monday May 25th, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.


  • Crazy Crew: 5K, 5 flights, 657 steps
    A twisty-turning route on staircases and trails with views to make your heart go pitter-patter.

    Online registration is closed for this category.



  • Sock Hop: 2 miles, 2 flights, 269 steps
    A delightful (still challenging) beginners route on staircases and trails with views as glorious as those on the longer routes.

    Online registration is closed for this category.



  • Hilly Half: 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles), 6 flights, over 730+ steps, lots of hills and vales and breathtaking views!
    Extremely challenging route: 6 staircases, several steep hills; walkers should remember that this is a very tough route!

    Online registration is closed for this category.



  • Flip Flop Romp: 1 mile or 2 miles, primarily on Freedom Trail, no stairs, strollers and wheelchair-friendly
    No tee/swag/medals/awards; special souvenir bib; virtual option, kids under five free

    Online registration is closed for this category.



  • DONATE TO SHOOT FOR THE STARS - Matching Grant Fund

    Online registration is closed for this category.




EVENT SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER RUN AND MAY TRAINING SESSION

WE HAVE RESCHEDULED THIS EVENT DUE TO COVID, FOR SEPTEMBER 19. WE EXPECT TO BE BACK TO MEMORIAL DAY IN 2021! WE WILL HOLD AN INFORMAL TRAINING RUN, MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 25TH, TO HONOR AMERICA'S FALLEN HEROES BY HAVING THE COURAGE TO GET STRONG. DETAILS WILL BE SENT TO REGISTRANTS ONCE CONFIRMED. THIS WILL BE FREE, WITH MINIMAL SUPPORT AND NO SHIRTS, SWAG OR AWARDS. IT WILL PROBABLY INCLUDE OPTIONS, PERHAPS A 5K WITH 2 STAIRCASES AND A 10K WITH 5 STAIRCASES. RELEASE WILL BE REQUIRED AT EVENT.

FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2020

5:00 TO 6:30 P.M.:
Late registration/sign-in/packet pickup. You are encouraged to come FRIDAY to ease the process on Saturday morning. THERE WILL BE A DRAWING ON SATURDAY FOR THOSE WHO PICKED UP THEIR PACKETS AND/OR REGISTERED ON FRIDAY NIGHT!


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020:

THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL TIME SCHEDULE FOR MEMORIAL DAY...WE ARE WORKING OUT DETAILS FOR THE RE-SCHEDULE, BUT HOPE TO STICK WITH THESE TIMES:

9:00 am to 10:30: Sign-in, packet pickup and late registration.
10:00-10:50: Limber-up on the lawn - on your own, stretch diagrams will be provided
10:30: Brief program/housekeeping
10:50: Line up at the start line
11:00: Shotgun start
2:00 (approximate): 1st Place Awards
12:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Day in the Park:
MUSIC, FOOD & DRINK: Details in the works!
KID ZONE: Details in the works!

AWESOME TRI-BLEND TEES

We are known for our awesome tees. We use Next Level Premium tri-blend tees (this year we plan on a vintage royal blue) printed locally by All Seasons Printing. These are excellent quality poly/cotton/rayon tri-blend shirts. We have tried several styles through the years but we love the Next Level and so do our climbers. This shirt drapes but does not cling. It is soft and easy to wear for casual outings but also bears up well under athletic use. Washes and wears beautifully. (We hang ours to dry to make them last longer.)

Please be sure to look at the measurements if you have any doubts about the size and style you should order. To find the measurements: Go to StarsStripesSteps.com.

Help us Meet our Matching Grants - Become a Shooting Star


Full Shooting Star details can be found here:
challengedakota.com/sponsorship-opportunities

We are deeply grateful to two Modern Woodmen chapters for offering grants up to $4,500, if we match that through our fundraising! But we need your help to meet the goal. Every dollar you raise for Shoot for The Stars Sponsorship Campaign will be doubled, up to the $4,500 limit.

This year, for the first time, you can become a sponsor for as little as $10.00! Your name will be listed in the program, on the local theatre screen and on social media. Plus, the highest fundraiser will receive a great gift basket (details TBD).

Best of all, you will be helping the Hot Springs Boys and Girls Club with two important projects:

Find out how the matching grants will be used:
challengedakota.com/matching-grant-use

COMMUNITY DAY IN THE PARK:

THE FUN DOESN'T END AT THE FINISH LINE. STICK AROUND FOR A DAY IN THE PARK WITH SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

APPROXIMATELY 12:00 TO 3:00 P.M. (or longer if everyone wants to hang out):

Here are some of the things in the works...

FREE MUSIC: Details to be announced!!!
FREE KID ZONE: courtesy of Boys & Girls Club of Hot Springs.
FOOD AND BEVERAGES: Details to be announced!
FREE ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS AND GROWNUPS: Details to be announced

BRING THE KIDS!

FOR SOCK HOP, CRAZY CREW AND KNEE HIGH HILLY HALF: This year kids under 18 are treated to a flat $15 fee, no matter when they register and no matter which event they choose, to celebrate being together again! Like the adults, they will not be guaranteed shirts or finisher award if they register after 9/7. Children under five are always welcome to accompany parents or guardians at no charge (no tee shirts or SWAG), but be aware that these are not "stroller friendly" routes. Those stairs are steep and strollers are absolutely forbidden!
NEW THIS YEAR: We have added the Flip-Flop Romp this year (still working on the route, but likely 1 mile and 2 mile options mostly on the beautiful Freedom Trail.) This option allows kids in strollers and folks who cannot climb stairs to participate and support our club kids. At $10, this event does not include shirts, medals or swag, but will include a special souvenir race bib that only the Flip-Floppers will receive. This can be done 'virtually' also, by registering and doing your walk wherever you are. If you choose to go 'virtual', we will mail your souvenir bib. We are still working on the details, but know that your $10.00 entry fee will not only go to the Boys & Girls Club, but will help us meet a $4,500 match pledged by Modern Woodmen!!!!

WE ADORE PETS

Pets are welcome if they are leashed and you follow all city ordinances. (So bring your leash and poop bags please.) Be courteous and remember that not everyone likes to be kissed by your puppy. (We don't know why, but it is true.)

AWARDS

We will have awards for first place male and female in each category* created by the Boys & Girls Club Kids. We will also have kid-created medals for everyone who finishes the course*; each one unique! We will do our best to track your time with our lovely clock*; but remember, Stars, Stripes & Steps is primarily about personal challenge. Set a goal and go for it!

*Excluding the Flip Flop Romp—a fun run. You can track your own time using your own app or our race clock, but our timers will not be recording your time.

WALKER FRIENDLY - COURSE CLOSING TIMES

We are a walker friendly event and we do not yet have a specific course cut-off. However, there may be a point when we will take volunteers off the course and have a route sweep check in on slower walkers.

The half-marathon is very hilly and it may take a very long time to walk. WE DON'T RECOMMEND IT for any but super fast walkers. The half-marathon includes six staircases as well as several steep hills.

TEAMS

We have not yet put together any special program for teams, but we would love it if you initiated that on your own. Tell us what you want to see for team efforts next year.

WHY DO WE DO THIS!

On Memorial Day, we honor our nation's fallen soldiers by having the courage to get strong! This year we will honor them that day, and again on September 19th, as, hopefully, we celebrate a return to business as usual and kids back in school!

When we are strong individuals, our country is strengthened. When we are honorable, we demand honor from our leaders. When we are courageous, we bring courage to the nation.

What better way to honor those brave men and women than by supporting the generations for whom they fought. The proceeds from Stars, Stripes & Steps are donated to the Hot Springs Boys & Girls Club! Every dollar of your registration fee goes to the Club, and any extra we have from sponsors after expenses. Additional donations to the Club or to Challenge Dakota are greatly appreciated.

MAKE IT A CHALLENGE OR MAKE IT A STROLL: MAKE IT YOURS

Stars, Stripes & Steps encourages us to honor America's fallen heroes by having the courage to get strong. Although we will have first place overall finisher awards, Stars, Stripes & Steps is not so much a race, but a personal challenge to get strong! From beginners to athletes, Stars, Stripes & Steps is for everyone!

Choose the event that suits your fitness level. Set a personal goal. Challenge yourself to go a little farther or a little faster this year. Personalize your challenge. Be creative! Carry a weighted backpack, firefighter gear, or your baby on your back. Have fun and get strong!

Can't climb stairs? No problem. The all new Flip-Flop Romp is for those who cannot climb but want to push themselves a little—or maybe just want to be a part of this community event. The Romp is "wheel-friendly" and only $10.00, so bring the stroller, the wheelchair, or the scooter and enjoy the day! (No shirts or swag included with the Flip-Flop Romp registration.)

Although we are a walker-friendly event, the half-marathon is very hilly and it may take a very long time to walk. We will support you until the sun goes down if necessary, but we sure hope it does not take that long!

CHALLENGE DAKOTA

Challenge Dakota is a 501(c)(3) corporation. When you donate to Challenge, you help fund our efforts to support active events in and around Hot Springs, especially new events and events associated with stair-climbing. In addition to supporting events, Challenge Dakota: is building a race kit, which is used by many local groups for their race events; repaired the city's five historic stairways in downtown Hot Springs and is building a fund for future repairs and major restorations; future plans include a litter patrol for the community's stairways and the Freedom Trail.

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AT VA FACILITIES:

Because part of each route crosses Veterans Administration property, you agree in your signed waiver to follow these SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT regulations:

1.218 - Security and law enforcement at VA facilities.
(a) Authority and rules of conduct. Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 901, the following rules and regulations apply at all property under the charge and control of VA (and not under the charge and control of the General Services Administration) and to all persons entering in or on such property. The head of the facility is charged with the responsibility for the enforcement of these rules and regulations and shall cause these rules and regulations to be posted in a conspicuous place on the property.
(1) Closing property to public. The head of the facility, or designee, shall establish visiting hours for the convenience of the public and shall establish specific hours for the transaction of business with the public. The property shall be closed to the public during other than the hours so established. In emergency situations, the property shall be closed to the public when reasonably necessary to ensure the orderly conduct of Government business. The decision to close a property during an emergency shall be made by the head of the facility or designee. The head of the facility or designee shall have authority to designate areas within a facility as closed to the public.
(2) Recording presence. Admission to property during periods when such property is closed to the public will be limited to persons authorized by the head of the facility or designee. Such persons may be required to sign a register and/or display identification documents when requested to do so by VA police, or other authorized individual. No person, without authorization, shall enter upon or remain on such property while the property is closed. Failure to leave such premises by unauthorized persons shall constitute an offense under this paragraph.
(3) Preservation of property. The improper disposal of rubbish on property; the spitting on the property; the creation of any hazard on property to persons or things; the throwing of articles of any kind from a building; the climbing upon the roof or any part of the building, without permission; or the willful destruction, damage, or removal of Government property or any part thereof, without authorization, is prohibited. The destruction, mutilation, defacement, injury, or removal of any monument, gravestone, or other structure within the limits of any national cemetery is prohibited.
(4) Conformity with signs and emergency conditions. The head of the facility, or designee, shall have authority to post signs of a prohibitory and directory nature. Persons, in and on property, shall comply with such signs of a prohibitory or directory nature, and during emergencies, with the direction of police authorities and other authorized officials. Tampering with, destruction, marring, or removal of such posted signs is prohibited.
(5) Disturbances. Conduct on property which creates loud or unusual noise; which unreasonably obstructs the usual use of entrances, foyers, lobbies, corridors, offices, elevators, stairways, or parking lots; which otherwise impedes or disrupts the performance of official duties by Government employees; which prevents one from obtaining medical or other services provided on the property in a timely manner; or the use of loud, abusive, or otherwise improper language; or unwarranted loitering, sleeping, or assembly is prohibited. In addition to measures designed to secure voluntary terminations of violations of this paragraph the head of the facility or designee may cause the issuance of orders for persons who are creating a disturbance to depart the property. Failure to leave the premises when so ordered constitutes a further disturbance within the meaning of this rule, and the offender is subject to arrest and removal from the premises.
(6) Gambling. Participating in games for money or for tangible or intangible things, or the operating of gambling devices, the conduct of a lottery or pool, or the selling or purchasing of numbers tickets, in or on property is prohibited.
(7) Alcoholic beverages and narcotics. Operating a motor vehicle on property by a person under the influence of alcoholic beverages, narcotic drugs, hallucinogens, marijuana, barbiturates, or amphetamines is prohibited. Entering property under the influence of any narcotic drug, hallucinogen, marijuana, barbiturate, amphetamine, or alcoholic beverage (unless prescribed by a physician) is prohibited. The use on property of any narcotic drug, hallucinogen, marijuana, barbiturate, or amphetamine (unless prescribed by a physician) is prohibited. The introduction or possession of alcoholic beverages or any narcotic drug, hallucinogen, marijuana, barbiturate, and amphetamine on property is prohibited, except for liquor or drugs prescribed for use by medical authority for medical purposes. Provided such possession is consistent with the laws of the State in which the facility is located, liquor may be used and maintained in quarters assigned to employees as their normal abode, and away from the abode with the written consent of the head of the facility which specifies a special occasion for use and limits the area and period for the authorized use.
(8) Soliciting, vending, and debt collection. Soliciting alms and contributions, commercial soliciting and vending of all kinds, displaying or distributing commercial advertising, or collecting private debts in or on property is prohibited. This rule does not apply to (i) national or local drives for funds for welfare, health, or other purposes as authorized under Executive Order 12353, Charitable Fund Raising (March 23, 1982), as amended by Executive Order 12404 (February 10, 1983), and regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management implementing these Executive Orders; (ii) concessions or personal notices posted by employees on authorized bulletin boards; and (iii) solicitation of labor organization membership or dues under 5 U.S.C. chapter 71.
(9) Distribution of handbills. The distributing of materials such as pamphlets, handbills, and/or flyers, and the displaying of placards or posting of materials on bulletin boards or elsewhere on property is prohibited, except as authorized by the head of the facility or designee or when such distributions or displays are conducted as part of authorized Government activities.
(10) Photographs for news, advertising, or commercial purposes. Photographs for advertising or commercial purposes may be taken only with the written consent of the head of the facility or designee. Photographs for news purposes may be taken at entrances, lobbies, foyers, or in other places designated by the head of the facility or designee.
(11) Dogs and other animals. Dogs and other animals, except seeing-eye dogs, shall not be brought upon property except as authorized by the head of the facility or designee.
(12) Vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Drivers of all vehicles in or on property shall drive in a careful and safe manner at all times and shall comply with the signals and directions of police and all posted traffic signs. The blocking of entrances, driveways, walks, loading platforms, or fire hydrants in or on property is prohibited; parking in unauthorized locations or in locations reserved for other persons or contrary to the direction of posted signs is prohibited. Creating excessive noise on hospital or cemetery premises by muffler cut out, the excessive use of a horn, or other means is prohibited. Operation of a vehicle in a reckless or unsafe manner, drag racing, bumping, overriding curbs, or leaving the roadway is prohibited.
(13) Weapons and explosives. No person while on property shall carry firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, or explosives, either openly or concealed, except for official purposes.
(14) Demonstrations. (i) All visitors are expected to observe proper standards of decorum and decency while on VA property. Toward this end, any service, ceremony, or demonstration, except as authorized by the head of the facility or designee, is prohibited. Jogging, bicycling, sledding and other forms of physical recreation on cemetery grounds is prohibited.
(ii) For the purpose of the prohibition expressed in this paragraph, unauthorized demonstrations or services shall be defined as, but not limited to, picketing, or similar conduct on VA property; any oration or similar conduct to assembled groups of people, unless the oration is part of an authorized service; the display of any placards, banners, or foreign flags on VA property unless approved by the head of the facility or designee; disorderly conduct such as fighting, threatening, violent, or tumultuous behavior, unreasonable noise or coarse utterance, gesture or display or the use of abusive language to any person present; and partisan activities, i.e., those involving commentary or actions in support of, or in opposition to, or attempting to influence, any current policy of the Government of the United States, or any private group, association, or enterprise.
(15) Key security. The head of the facility of designee, will determine which employees, by virtue of their duties, shall have access to keys or barrier-card keys which operate locks to rooms or areas on the property. The unauthorized possession, manufacture, and/or use of such keys or barrier cards is prohibited. The surreptitious opening or attempted opening of locks or card-operated barrier mechanisms is prohibited.
(16) Sexual misconduct. Any act of sexual gratification on VA property involving two or more persons, who do not reside in quarters on the property, is prohibited. Acts of prostitution or solicitation for acts of prostitution on VA property is prohibited. For the purposes of this paragraph, an act of prostitution is defined as the performance or the offer or agreement to perform any sexual act for money or payment.
(b) Schedule of offenses and penalties. Conduct in violation of the rules and regulations set forth in paragraph (a) of this section subjects an offender to arrest and removal from the premises. Whomever shall be found guilty of violating these rules and regulations while on any property under the charge and control of VA is subject to a fine as stated in the schedule set forth herein or, if appropriate, the payment of fixed sum in lieu of appearance (forfeiture of collateral) as may be provided for in rules of the United States District Court. Violations included in the schedule of offenses and penalties may also subject an offender to a term of imprisonment of not more than six months, as may be determined appropriate by a magistrate or judge of the United States District Court:
(1) Improper disposal of rubbish on property, $200.
(2) Spitting on property, $25.
(3) Throwing of articles from a building or the unauthorized climbing upon any part of a building, $50.
(4) Willful destruction, damage, or removal of Government property without authorization, $500.
(5) Defacement, destruction, mutilation or injury to, or removal, or disturbance of, gravemarker or headstone, $500.
(6) Failure to comply with signs of a directive and restrictive nature posted for safety purposes, $50.
(7) Tampering with, removal, marring, or destruction of posted signs, $150.
(8) Entry into areas posted as closed to the public or others (trespass), $50.
(9 Unauthorized demonstration or service in a national cemetery or on other VA property, $250.
(10) Creating a disturbance during a burial ceremony, $250.
(11) Disorderly conduct which creates loud, boisterous, and unusual noise, or which obstructs the normal use of entrances, exits, foyers, offices, corridors, elevators, and stairways or which tends to impede or prevent the normal operation of a service or operation of the facility, $250.
(12) Failure to depart premises by unauthorized persons, $50.
(13) Unauthorized loitering, sleeping or assembly on property, $50.
(14) Gambling-participating in games of chance for monetary gain or personal property; the operation of gambling devices, a pool or lottery; or the taking or giving of bets, $200.
(15) Operation of a vehicle under the influence of alcoholic beverages or nonprescribed narcotic drugs, hallucinogens, marijuana, barbiturates, or amphetamines, $500.
(16) Entering premises under the influence of alcoholic beverages or narcotic drugs, hallucinogens, marijuana, barbiturates or amphetamines, $200.
(17) Unauthorized use on property of alcoholic beverages or narcotic drugs, hallucinogens, marijuana, barbiturates, or amphetamines, $300.
(18) Unauthorized introduction on VA controlled property of alcoholic beverages or narcotic drugs, hallucinogens, marijuana, barbiturates, or amphetamines or the unauthorized giving of same to a patient or beneficiary, $500.
(19) Unauthorized solicitation of alms and contributions on premises, $50.
(20) Commercial soliciting or vending, or the collection of private debts on property, $50.
(21) Distribution of pamphlets, handbills, and flyers, $25.
(22) Display of placards or posting of material on property, $25.
(23) Unauthorized photography on premises, $50.
(24) Failure to comply with traffic directions of VA police, $25.
(25) Parking in spaces posted as reserved for physically disabled persons, $50.
(26) Parking in no-parking areas, lanes, or crosswalks so posted or marked by yellow borders or yellow stripes, $25.
(27) Parking in emergency vehicle spaces, areas and lanes bordered in red or posted as EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY or FIRE LANE, or parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, $50.
(28) Parking within an intersection or blocking a posted vehicle entrance or posted exit lane, $25.
(29) Parking in spaces posted as reserved or in excess of a posted time limit, $15.
(30) Failing to come to a complete stop at a STOP sign, $25.
(31) Failing to yield to a pedestrian in a marked and posted crosswalk, $25.
(32) Driving in the wrong direction on a posted one-way street, $25.
(33) Operation of a vehicle in a reckless or unsafe manner, too fast for conditions, drag racing, overriding curbs, or leaving the roadway, $100.
(34) Exceeding posted speed limits:
(i) By up to 10 mph, $25.
(ii) By up to 20 mph, $50.
(iii) By over 20 mph, $100.
(35) Creating excessive noise in a hospital or cemetery zone by muffler cut out, excessive use of a horn, or other means, $50.
(36) Failure to yield right of way to other vehicles, $50.
(37) Possession of firearms, carried either openly or concealed, whether loaded or unloaded (except by Federal or State law enforcement officers on official business, $500.
(38) Introduction or possession of explosives, or explosive devices which fire a projectile, ammunition, or combustibles, $500.
(39) Possession of knives which exceed a blade length of 3 inches; switchblade knives; any of the variety of hatchets, clubs and hand-held weapons; or brass knuckles, $300.
(40) The unauthorized possession of any of the variety of incapacitating liquid or gas-emitting weapons, $200.
(41) Unauthorized possession, manufacture, or use of keys or barrier card-type keys to rooms or areas on the property, $200.
(42) The surreptitious opening, or attempted opening, of locks or card-operated barrier mechanisms on property, $500.
(43) Soliciting for, or the act of, prostitution, $250.
(44) Any unlawful sexual activity, $250.
(45) Jogging, bicycling, sledding or any recreational physical activity conducted on cemetery grounds, $50.
All requests will be reviewed by VA Police and VA Regional Counsel to advise the head of the Facility (Director) to approve or disapprove. Approved requests will be filled with VA Black Hills Public Affairs and VA Black Hills Police.

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