Doc Ford’s to host Yucatán shrimp 7K
An island walk and run will support a hands-on environmental camp for high school students.
In celebration of National Yucatán Shrimp Day, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille will present the Doc Ford’s National Yucatán Shrimp Day 7K on May 24 at 7:30 a.m. at its Sanibel location. A 7K in honor of the seven key ingredients in its signature dish, the net proceeds will go to the Sanibel Sea School.
“Doc Ford’s started National Yucatán Shrimp Day in 2020. We applied to National Day Calendar as a unique way to recognize our popular Yucatán Shrimp and were selected from thousands of applications,” Joe Harrity, a partner with the HM Restaurant Group — Doc Ford’s parent company — said. “As season winds down, this race is a fun and festive way for the local community to reconnect and have a great time.”
Open to runners and walkers, the 7K will start and finish at the restaurant.
Awards will be presented to the top finishers in each age group and overall winners.
Costumes are encouraged.
After the 7K, Doc Ford’s will open early at 10 a.m. There will be live music, food and drinks.
The restaurant will provide a live chef cooking of its legendary Yucatán Shrimp, a mainstay on the menu for over 20 years. The dish pairs steamed peel-and-eat shrimp with a savory spicy sauce made from butter, fresh Key lime juice, garlic, cilantro, Colombian chili pepper sambal, salt and pepper.
Sponsored by RNDC, free drink stations will feature its Captains for Clean Water cocktails.
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) and Sanibel Sea School will be onsite with interactive marine education booths. The Children’s Education Center of the Islands will offer a nature-based shrimp craft, and there will be a photo booth to capture those post-race smiles and memories.
“Thanks to Doc Ford’s, high school students from diverse backgrounds will explore Sanibel’s rich ecosystems through hands-on environmental research,” the SCCF’s Sanibel Sea School Youth Education Director Shannon Rivard said. “The contribution will cover the cost of our one-of-a-kind, immersive camp called A Week in the Field and allow us to continue offering it completely free, ensuring that our programs remain accessible to all students, a core part of our mission.”
“From surveying shorebirds to collecting water samples, analyzing oyster beds, and learning side-by-side with SCCF’s scientists, our campers will gain meaningful skills and experiences that could shape the course of their lives,” she added.
The entry fee is $40 for ages 11 and older; a virtual 5K Run/Walk is also available.
Participants will receive an event shirt and free mojito card, as well as be automatically entered for a chance to win a Doc Ford’s customized YETI cooler. The winner will be announced after the 7K.
Event registration will close on May 23 at 11 a.m.
However, to guarantee a shirt in a preferred size, participants must be registered by May 5.
Event supports include: Asteria Wellness as a sambal sponsor; Fleet Feet Fort Myers, LCEC and The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company as lime sponsors; and Finnimore’s Bike & Beach Rentals and Lin-Mark Sports as garlic sponsors.
Race packet pickup will be take place on:
– May 21 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Doc Ford’s, at 2500 Island Inn Road, Sanibel
– May 22 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Doc Ford’s, at 708 Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Myers Beach
– May 23 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Fleet Feet, at 13499 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 209, Fort Myers
Asteria Wellness will have a nurse stationed at every packet pickup location and will offer free B12 injections for participants. Packets will also be available for pick up the day of the race at 6 a.m.
To register or for more information, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Sanibel/DocFordsNationalYucatanShrimpDay7k.
Doc Ford’s is at 2500 Island Inn Road, Sanibel.
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IF YOU GO
What
Doc Ford’s National Yucatán Shrimp Day 7K
When
May 24 at 7:30 a.m.
Where
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, 2500 Island Inn Road, Sanibel
Details
Entry fee is $40 for ages 11 and older
To reach TIFFANY REPECKI / news@breezenewspapers.com, please email