· By Melissa Emler
This Is Our First Chapter: The Next Chapter 5K
🚨 Big news, friends! 🚨
We’re doing something bold, something joyful, something meaningful—and we want you in on it.
On Independent Bookstore Day—April 26, 2025—we’re throwing open the doors to Pages and Parcels with a grand opening celebration and kicking it off with our very first Next Chapter 5K. We’re inviting runners, readers, strollers, bikers, and full-on coffee-clutch cheerleaders to join us for a race that’s about so much more than a finish line.
This isn’t just a 5K. This is where movement meets meaning.
🏃♀️ So, what is the Next Chapter 5K?
It’s a celebration.
It’s a race.
It’s a fundraiser.
It’s a launchpad.
And it’s your official invitation to help write the first chapter of something special.
Proceeds from the 5K will fund full-year nonprofit memberships to The Hub—our new coworking and community gathering space designed for nonprofits, civic groups, entrepreneurs, and remote workers shaping our region's future.
When you register, donate, or even just share the event, you’re helping fuel a space where people connect, plan, build, and serve. It’s about giving local leaders the tools they need to do their best work—and reminding them they’re not doing it alone.
💡 Why This Matters
The Hub is more than a place to plug in your laptop. It’s where:
• Nonprofits host board meetings and build big ideas
• Volunteers connect without endless meetings and obligations
• Fundraisers get smarter, not harder
• Change feels a little less overwhelming because it’s shared
Every gifted nonprofit membership includes professional space, high-speed Wi-Fi, printing and mailing support, fundraising coaching, and access to monthly Nonprofit Power Hours—think impact matchmaking between community needs and local doers.
And yes, while The Hub is a for-profit business, it’s built on a social purpose: to serve those who serve others.
🗺️ About the Race (Spoiler: You Don’t Have to Run)
The 5K kicks off with registration beginning at 8:00 AM and the race will start at 9:00 AM from Hickory Hill Park. The route winds down past the Potosi Brewery, and ends right at The Hub and Pages and Parcels—because, of course it does. Then at 11:30, we’ll cut the ribbon, raise a glass, and officially open the doors to a space built for connection, creativity, and community.
But here’s the thing:
This race is for everyone. You can run, walk, roll, or cruise the route with coffee in hand and your biggest cheering voice.
🌟 7 Ways to Be Part of the Next Chapter 5K
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Register to Walk, Run, Ride, or Roll
There’s no timer. No pressure. Just purpose and fresh air.
Gather your coworkers, book club, or cousins. It would be awesome if you raised $900 as a team and sponsored a full nonprofit membership.
Register Now!
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Participate Virtually
Out of town? No problem. Register, and we’ll mail your race swag. Your miles still matter.
Register Now - choose the virtual option
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Make a Donation
Every dollar fuels space, support, and sustainability for nonprofits doing real, local work.
Donate Now - Choose full year, half year, or the essentials - everything helps!
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Sponsor the Event
Business owners—want visibility + impact? Your $300 helps cover shirts, signage, and snacks so race proceeds can go straight to community work. Become a Sponsor
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Volunteer on Race Day
Logistics more your speed?
Help us make it all run smoothly. Bonus points if you’re a pro with high-fives. 👉 Sign Up to Volunteer (Link coming soon)
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Nominate a Nonprofit
Know a group doing incredible work? Nominate them to receive a gifted Hub membership. 👉 Nominate Now (link coming soon)
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Spread the Word
Send the link. Text a friend. Tag a neighbor. Talk it up—because this is just the beginning.
📖 Our Story Starts with You
This is the first year of the race.
The first chapter of The Hub.
The first celebration of Pages and Parcels.
And we’re not trying to make it perfect. We’re trying to make it meaningful.
Your registration, sponsorship, donation, or cheerleading from the sidelines?
It matters. It helps us create something that lasts.
Something rooted in community.
Something we’ll look back on and say: That’s where it all started.