The Colonial Hills Civic Association

Please sign up to help pack Buddy Boxes and join your Colonial Hills neighbors at the Worthington warehouse of the Family Mentor Foundation, 6520 Singletree Dr, Columbus, OH 43229 — on Sunday, August 10, from 1:00-3:00 PM.

Many children who qualify for free lunch or reduced fee lunch at their schools have little to eat at home and return to school after weekends distracted by their hunger and unable to focus on learning.

Family Mentor Foundation’s goal is to bridge the gap; to send these kids home with a Buddy Box every Friday during the school year to alleviate their hunger. A Buddy Box is a box filled with kid-friendly, nutritious, nonperishable, individual sized-food items that are easy for children to eat or prepare on their own. These meals and snacks help sustain children on the weekends when they are not in school.

Please visit Family Mentor Foundation for more information about additional opportunities to volunteer or donate.

Below is a photo of Colonial Hills neighbors after packing Buddy Boxes last year.

A hearty thank you to Overall Event Chair Amanda Rule, her two other Park Overlook committee members Ashley Chaney and Mandie DeWine, and the over 60 other volunteers for a wonderful 4th of July event – an event many would say was even better than last year, which event last year “may well have been the best Colonial Hills 4th of July subsequent to fifty years ago …”

Even better than last year? The overall event chair and her team, and the Event Chairs for the 5K Race Jeff Spain and Courtney Jolley, the Event Chairs for the Kiddie Parade Mary Ann Ogle and Robin Ogle, Emcee Chris Rule, plus Ron Sears, the Midway Master, and the CHCA Officers, all spent months planning for, and then flawlessly executing, our 2025 Fourth of July Extravaganza.

All the delightful activities from last year were back – a double lane slip ‘n’ slide, little kids bounce house, big kids bounce house, dunk tank, face painting, Kona Ice, Cotton Candy, both a youth and an adult watermelon eating contest, and new for this year, the Colonial Hills Cub Scout Pack 331 providing the food – burgers, hot dogs, chips and pop, and of course, the midway games and activities.

Games, games and more games: the traditional games Plinko, Go Fish, Duck Pond, Ring Toss, Lollipop Tree; Ron’s new games and activities from last year Bubble Whack, Riot Ball, Gravity Well and Buttons & Pictures; and Ron’s new games for this year Axe Throw and Air Race ( download an Air Race video here ) – with all games and activities comfortably housed under ten new pop-up tents donated by Ron – and highlighted with Ron’s streamers over the midway as the CHCA’s 79th 4th of July!

Also, a great big thanks to our sponsor Cynthia MacKenzie, CYMACK Real Estate for their generous support of our event.

And a final thank you to Kate LaLonde, Executive Director, Worthington Historical Society (WHS), who researched and edited newspaper articles about the CHCA’s founding and its early 4th of July celebrations into a poster-sized montage PDF, a poster which we proudly displayed this year at our CHCA Suggestions for Next Year tent.
Note: The large 49 megabyte size of this PDF will delay its display by a few seconds.

The winners in our competitions were:

Race Results

The 5k Race Co-Chairs Courtney Jolley and Jeff Spain and their volunteers yet again made this event run like clockwork, from publicity and signup to the runners and walkers competing and enjoying the course thru Colonial Hills, the 46th running of this traditional Colonial Hills event.

We congratulate everyone who participated, and this year we are thrilled to announce the following spectacular times for the overall winning male and female runners:

• Zane Keppler (15:17.44) – a new Run Through the Hills course record!
• Riley Tate (18:18.17) – the 4th best ever female time!

Please click on the links below to view:

• Overall Finish List Results
• Results by Age Group
• Our Race Results Archive, 1998-2025
• Or, select the Race website Results tab for searchable and age-group results

2025 Kiddie Parade Winners, by Category

Long-time Kiddie Parade Chair Mary Ann Ogle, along with her Co-Chair Robin Ogle, again expertly planned and conducted this traditional 4th of July event, which started after the 5k Race awards had been handed out, and as soon as Robin and Mary Ann could organize the participants at the starting line. And as usual, Mary Ann firmly maintained safety for all the participants, by putting the hammer down on the speeding bicyclists who were well ahead of the pack, as these speedsters completed their first lap around Selby Park. And the kids (with maybe some parental assistance) did a great job this year decorating their mode of transportation!

Mary Ann and Robin thank their judges: Jim Kidd, Kay Hoffman, Patrick and Jenna Bracken, Chris Wethington, and Kathy Moore, who took on the hard task of selecting the most festive decorations in the parade for these winners in the following categories:

Bicycles
1st place tie- Eli Thines (6yrs) and Hannah Hughes (6yrs)
2nd place group- Joey (4yrs) Emily (2yrs) Mittelman, Noah (15yrs) Mertz
3rd place tie- Bowen Reed (8yrs) and Elijah Fry (8yrs)

Strollers
1st place- Amy Guerrer (1yr)
2nd place- Brittany Smith (Leo) (23mo)
3rd place- Torre Rehr (14mo)

Scooters
1st place tie- Evelyn White (9yrs) and Iris Johnson (9yrs)
2nd place- Adam (7yrs) and Anthony (4yrs) Long
3rd place- Grant Bednar (3yrs)

Wagons and Floats
1st place- Emma (3yrs) and Sophia (3yrs)
2nd place- Rowan (5yrs) Masie (1yr) Best
3rd place- Miriah (14mo) Ellis

Dogs and Walkers
1st place- Betty (1yr)
2nd place tie- Tommy and Moode

Notes: If you did not collect your prize ribbon at the awards presentation on the 4th, Mrs. Ogle will give your ribbon to you at any Civic Association meeting at the shelter house.
If there are any corrections to this information please e-mail the CHCA webmaster Will Pearce at willpearce@columbus.rr.com

Watermelon Eating Contest Winners, by Category

The firm, but immensely entertaining, judge for the two contests made sure that the following winners were the first in their age group to finish their slice so that absolutely, and indisputably, no red was showing:

Youth- A. Buckley
Adult- Donovan LaDuke

(And now for the photos – please click the “Continue reading” link below to see these pics which have the descriptions given below – photographer credit: CHCA Webmaster, unless credited otherwise to Chris Rule, CHCA VP/Communications)

_01 Runners are being checked in – longstanding volunteer Christine with clipboard
_02 8:28 AM -The runners gather before the start of the race
_03 The runners are on their way for the 46th Annual Run Through the Hills 5k!
_04 Jeff joins the race at the back
_05 Jason crosses the finish line in 2nd place, over 30 seconds ahead of 3rd place runner
_06 9:17 AM – the dunk tank is being filled, and the midway has been provisioned with the traditional games
_07 Overall male and female winners Zane and Riley – Credit: Chris Rule, VP/Communications
_08 Cynthia medals!
_09 Jeff and Courtney have presented medal to Erin R. in female 40 to 49 age group
_10 Natalie has received her first place award, female age 30-39
_11 Lukas, first place male 13-19, has received his medal
_12 Medalists, L to R: Joan, 2nd F 50-59; Taylor, 1st M 60-Over; Suzanne, 2nd F 60-Over; Cynthia, 3rd F 50-59
_13 9:36 AM – Ron, Leslie and Alan work on completing the midway
_14 Robin is getting everyone ready for the start of the Kiddie Parade
_15 A jet bicycle getting ready for takeoff – Credit: Chris Rule, VP/Communications
_16 The Kiddie Parade has started – Credit: Chris Rule, VP/Communications
_17 Chris and Mary Ann loudly preventing speeders
_18 Co-Chairs Robin and Mary Ann begin to present ribbons to the winners (or their parents) for the various categories of the Kiddie Parade
_19 Mary Ann presents a ribbon for first place dogs
_20 First place dog Betty poses for her photo
_21 Kiddie Parade ribbon winners
_22 Kiddie Parade ribbon winners
_23 The CHCA 4th of July midway has opened! – Credit: Chris Rule/VP Communications
_24 The Plinko and Duck Pond games in their midway tents – Credit: Chris Rule/VP Communications
_25 The Riot Ball, Lollipop Tree and Bubble Whack games in their midway tents – Credit: Chris Rule/VP Communications
_26 Jay and inventor Ron with the Air Raid game; Buttons and Pictures at right – Credit: Chris Rule/VP Communications
_27 Face painting – Credit: Chris Rule, CHCA VP/Communications
_28 The double-lane slip ‘n’ slide
_29 Good throwing form, but the ball from the young pitcher is too low …
_30 However, Karen allows a manual assist to complete the dunk!
_31 The mayhem of Bubble Whack, one of Ron’s new games from last year
_32 At the Lollipop Tree
_33 The Riot Balls are rarely all stationary, but contestants are allowed prizes anyway
_34 The volunteers are intent for the success of the Duck Pond contestant’s efforts
_35 The inscrutable results of the traditional game Plinko make it a favorite, year after year
_36 A new favorite from last year is Buttons & Pictures
_37 A contestant collects her prize for the Gravity Well game
_38 Axe Throw is one of Ron’s new games for 2025 – the second axe thrown is wide right!
_39 Gone Fishing is a traditional favorite
_40 The Toddler Bounce House
_41 Brittany monitors the correct number of kids at a time in the Big Kids Bounce House
_42 Chris takes a turn in the dunk tank; the photographer rests in the tent
_43 Relaxing under the Big Tent
_44 Kona Ice
_45 Event Chair Amanda
_46 Colonial Hills Cub Scout Pack 331 provided yummy burgers, hot dogs, chips and pop for the extravaganza – thank you!
_47 Cotton Candy for two celebrants!
_48 A girl wins a sticker in this Girl Scouts activity (see the leader board in background)
_49 Gray Performance Physio
_50 The no-nonsense judge explains that the winner will be the first to have absolutely no red showing on their slice! – Credit: Chris Rule/VP Communications
_51 The youth contestants furiously chomp away at their watermelon slices
_52 And the winner is A. Buckley
_53 The adult contests via for watermelon eating glory
_54 And the winner is Donovan LaDuke – congratulations!
_55 Jay, Leslie and Alan at the Suggestions Tent – come to a CHCA meeting!

There will be a fun night with the neighborhood in Selby Park, Wednesday, July 23, from 6-8 PM.

As part of the Worthington July Parks and Recreation Celebration, the evening’s activities in the park will include magic, music and storytelling performances by Erica Carlson and Mark Reinhart, yard games, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and popsicles.

Since Parks & Rec will be using the shelter house parking lot, parking there will be limited. So, just plan to park in the streets, or walk or bike on over – and enjoy!

The CHCA 4th of July Event Chairs and some other volunteers have been planning the multitude of activities for 2025. But our activities will not happen without your volunteering to help out!

So, if you haven’t already volunteered, please volunteer now as follows for one or both of these areas:

1) Click our SignUpGenius link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F49A4A82FA7FACF8-57185290-colonial#/ for the midway and related activities – games (classic and new), bounce houses, slip ‘n’ slide, dunk tank, setup and cleanup

and/or

2) Email Jeff Spain jspain01@cscc.edu to volunteer for helping with the 5K Run Through the Hills (please see the separate 5K Volunteers blogpost for specific activities you can help Jeff and Courtney with).

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Registration for the 5K Race is now open! To run/walk in the race, you can register online, or you can print, fill out and mail in the PDF registration form Run Through the Hills 5K Entry Form – 2025 – mail to the CHCA, P.O. Box 676, Worthington, OH 43085.

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The overall schedule for all events for the 4th of July is:

• 8:30 AM Sharp! – Start of the 46th Annual 5K “Run Through the Hills”
• 10:00 AM – Kiddie Parade – Circles Selby Park
• 10:30 AM – The midway games, bounce houses, food services and more will open for all to enjoy. Purchase your midway activities wristbands before the parade to avoid the lines!
• Around Noon to Maybe 1:00 PM – Depends on how hot it is! – End of activities – But don’t be late!

For those of you new to our neighborhood, please see the blogpost recapping the 2024 4th of July. You will see that you will be enjoying a fun, festive celebration for everyone in the neighborhood – games, food, decorations, and the great company of everyone having a fun time!

Note: Teens, and especially rising seniors – you could volunteer for more than one activity over the period of the 3rd and 4th and thus get your two events credits for the CHCA scholarship! For instance, you could volunteer for setup and/or cleanup plus one shift for the midway and/or contact Jeff Spain for volunteering for the 5K. Don’t be disappointed at the last minute that you have not met the minimum 2-events qualification for scholarship consideration during your senior year! And also, try to attend a CHCA meeting this summer before your hectic senior year schedule kicks in – the meetings are the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM at the Selby shelter house, so why not attend in either July, August or September?

Boundless has requested that the Colonial Hills Civic Association (CHCA) publicize that there will be a meeting Thursday, June 19, at 6:00 PM in the gymnasium on the Boundless campus, 445 E. Dublin Granville Rd, regarding Elford previewing plans for development of the purchased Boundless property, and has requested that we provide the following information:

In their first meeting with our community (January 31, 2025), Elford stated they intend to build Class A, multi-family housing, and that they would host a second meeting to present and discuss the first version of their final plans. Detailed notes from the first meeting are available on both the Colonial Hills and the CHAT Facebook sites.

This second meeting will be the first time we will see what they are actually planning. Given the potential impact of higher density housing on our community, you may be interested in attending, listening carefully, and sharing your opinion.

Directions to the meeting: head to the Boundless administration building (to the right of the Health Center when you drive in), and Boundless will have greeters at the door to lead you to the gym.

For reference:
Class A properties are commonly defined as brand new state-of-the-art and catering to a wealthier clientele. They feature full amenities that are almost resort-like, and the units typically have the latest in-home technology. They are some of the most expensive apartments in their market. Amenities can be tangible, like swimming pools and fitness centers, or intangible, such as pleasant views and access to good public transport.

All Colonial Hills residents are invited to host their own garage sales on Saturday, June 14, starting at 9:00 AM, and e-mail their participation to the coordinator Rachael Dorothy at RachaelRDorothy@gmail.com.

Or, you can sign up online using the Google form but please e-mail Rachael or sign up online by the deadline of June 7, in order to have your place listed on the neighborhood map of garage sale locations and receive a garage sale helper pack from this event’s sponsor CYMACK Real Estate.

Please note: Sellers will be responsible for obtaining their own free Garage Sale permit from the city of Worthington: www.worthington.org/596/Garage-Sale-Permits.

A list of homes hosting a garage sale will be communicated the week of the sale online and via a list available at the Selby Park Shelter House.

Post Garage Sale Donation Pick Up: A Volunteers of America (VOA) truck will be parked at Colonial Hills Elementary School (CHES) June 14th, 2:00pm-4:30pm, the day of the Garage Sale, to pick up your unsold items. Just last year, our neighborhood loaded 2,000 lbs of donations into the truck! So good luck with your garage sale, but remember you can then head over afterwards to CHES for a feel-good charitable donation!

The Run Through the Hills 5K has been a beloved tradition in Colonial Hills for decades. If you’re not planning to run or walk this year, we’d love for you to join us as a volunteer!

We’re looking for enthusiastic helpers for:

• Course setup and preparation
• Packet pickup (July 3 and the morning of the race)
• Water stops along the route
• Post-race tear down and cleanup

This is a great way to support your community, cheer on friends and neighbors, and be part of an unforgettable Fourth of July morning.

Interested? Email Jeff Spain at jspain01@cscc.edu to learn more and sign up. Let’s make this year’s event the best yet!

Please join the CHCA in congratulating our two 2025 Scholarship Winners!

• Sean Miroslaw ($4,000)
• Griffin Royse ($3,000)

Details for their exemplary records of service to the community will be published in the June edition of the Courier. Until then, please enjoy the photos below of our CHCA Secretary Brittany Smith presenting their scholarships to them at the Thomas Worthington HS Local Scholarship Ceremony held at the McConnell Arts Center, May 16, 2025.

And a special thank-you to sponsor The Roof Detective who very generously donated one thousand dollars to our scholarship awards for 2025!

Left: Sean Miroslaw and Brittany Smith. Right: Griffin Royse and Brittany Smith.
Photo Credit: Thomas Worthington HS.

Have you ever been present at the Easter Egg Hunt and seen the hundreds of eggs? Perhaps you were a lucky winner of the sweet prize baskets? Well those eggs don’t stuff themselves and despite the cost of eggs going up, we at the Colonial Hills Civic Association are firm believers of “the more the merrier.” Thanks to generous sponsors Meacham Real Estate Company and Equitable Mortgage Corporation, we can still swing it. BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP!

So this is a reminder that we need volunteers on Saturday April 5, starting at 10am, to stuff Easter eggs for the hunt. It should only take an hour in stuffing plastic eggs with candy, stickers, etc., and in building Easter baskets. And if you have already-filled specialty baskets to donate, we would love to have them!

If the pure joy of it is not enough for you, coffee, hot chocolate and donuts will be provided for volunteers. This is also an EGGSELENT opportunity for high school students to get their volunteer hours in for next year’s scholarship!

And when you’re there helping, please be sure to thank Kathi Godber for chairing this event since 2016, and for the many memories she has helped create for so many kids in the neighborhood! She is retiring from this after this year, so expect her to go out with a bang during the stuffing event and for the hunt itself the following Saturday.

Hope to see you there at 10am, Saturday, April 5, at the Shelter House in Selby Park!

The total amount of money estimated to be paid out for NIL deals (Name, Image and Likeness) in the NCAA for the 2024-25 school year is $1.67 billion. If you are getting that money, you can skip applying for the CHCA scholarship. But if you are among us mere mortals, the CHCA scholarship is nothing to sneeze at. The CHCA has awarded over $5,000 dollars the last three years and looks to continue that streak with our 2025 Scholarship award.

What do you need to do to get in on the action? Just apply, dear neighbors, apply. The completed application MUST be received by April 4 and you can download the application in MS Word format here or find the PDF format here (or use the links at the right). You can deliver your application either in person, or to be received via the CHCA e-mail address CHCA.worthington@gmail.com.

For the volunteer requirement, there are MANY opportunities coming up during this spring season, as shown in our calendar of events. DON’T MISS OUT! If you cannot make a volunteer date already set up, see a CHCA officer to talk about how you can fulfill via a neighborhood project! Make sure you enjoy the JOY of being part of this neighborhood community… and get a little something extra if you are headed into a continuing education program!