Garner Town Manager Hardin Watkins and Police Sergeant Chris Clayton ran 14 miles on Sunday, December 20, 2009 from downtown Raleigh through Garner as they accompanied Coach Doug Merrill on his journey from Boston, MA to the Florida Keys. His run began on October 4, 2009 and will conclude in early April 2010 in Key West, FL. Coach Merrill is a former baseball player and coach who has been affected by the suicides of eight friends during his lifetime. He began the Power UP Foundation as a way to promote positive physical and mental health in communities across the United States. Coach Merrill is running a half-marathon (13.1) miles each day and sharing his message with communities across the east coast. Coach Merrill spoke with the Garner Parks and Recreation basketball leagues on Saturday, December 19, 2009, sharing with them his story and the positive mental health benefits of physical fitness. The ultimate goal of the Power UP Foundation is to raise money that he will then put back into local communities for programs that promote better physical and mental health.

Coach Merrill addressed the Garner Town Council on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. during their regularly scheduled council meeting.

For more information about the Power UP Foundation, please visit their website at www.powerupfoundation.org.