Historical April 1980 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Have you ever tried to imagine the sight of Hannibal’s armies riding their elephants over the Alps? Do you find bits and pieces of lazy summer days being given to conjuring up images of the building of the pyramids or the burning of Rome? Would you seize the opportunity to fly to the moon or have dinner with Woody Allen? Alas, these are the kinds of events that most of us can only live vicariously: even today history passes us in a stagecoach an intersection away. But wait. that can change! No longer do you need to be an ampersand on the page of life: now you can become part of an epoch-making event. Yes. you can participate in something truly significant. No longer need you shirk at the beach. After April 20 you’ll be able to shout with pride. “No I didn’t fly with Lindbergh, but I did run in ‘The Paper Route.’ “
Sunday. April 20 (at 9:00 a.m.). will be the big day. Thousands of runners *(perhaps hundreds of runners?) will hoof up and down the streets of SkinkerDeBaliviere. They’ll be participating in a fun. non-competitive run designed to raise money for The Paper. The emphasis is on fun and there should be plenty of it.
Mixed among the “regular” runners will be joggers attired in gay, exotic garb and costumes. This, you see, is no normal run: our run has an optional costume competition with a $50.00 costume prize!
You say you’re not a runner, but you’d still like to participate and support The Paper? Never fear, our 1.5 mile route is a run/walk route so that urban diletantes, pregnant ladies, non-runners, and other wise, prudent folks can join in the fun.
Each participant will receive a genuine Paper Route T-shirt. (If for some unacceptable reason you can’t participate— no reasons are acceptable without a note from mom – you can still join the fun by sitting on your porch and cheering the cast of characters as they rumble by your house.)
All participants will start at the Central West End Savings & Loan parking lot on DeBaliviere (our gracious sponsors of the run), and proceed to Four Corners Square (Kingsbury and DesPeres) where the judging of costumes will occur as the runners pass by. The routes split at Kingsbury and Rosedale, the 1.5 mile route returning to the CWESL parking lot and the 3 mile route continuing to wind through the neighborhood before stopping near Kingsbury Square off DeBaliviere (see map). The costume award will take place on the parking lot at approximately 10:45 a.m. at the completion of the run.
We see this activity as a very positive venture. The participants will have a good time, we’ll raise much-needed money for The Paper, and a lot of nonSkinker-DeBaliviereites will have an opportunity to see what a really neat place our neighborhood is!
Join us on the 20th! This will be fun and the more the merrier. See page 7 for your entry blank.
Original map and entry form
The source map distinguishes the 1.5 mile and 3 mile routes and shows costume judging at Four Corners. The original entry form lists $4.00 registration before April 20 and $5.00 on April 20, free T-shirt for the first 500 registrants, and mailing to The Paper Route, 6109 McPherson, St. Louis, MO 63112. Original waiver and complete route remain visible in the source images.
Original photograph caption
Original Paper Route map with 1.5 mile and 3 mile routes. The Paper, April 1980, page 1. Cartographer not credited.
Originally published in The Paper, April 1980.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1980_04.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 7; PDF page(s) 1, 7.
