NATCHEZ &045; Junior Auxiliary publicity chairman Monica Cross knows there’s a lot of pride on the line for those involved in today’s &uot;Run for the Kids&uot; 5K race.

However, she gets a bigger kick out of watch the younger competitors, who register for the one-mile fun run.

&uot;For the adults, it’s serious, but watching the kids is hilarious,&uot; Cross said. &uot;They don’t know where they’re going, but they’re having a great time. That’s what we’re doing it for. That’s what makes it meaningful.&uot;

This year’s edition of what has become one of JA’s biggest fund-raisers, begins with registration at 7:30 a.m. Fees for the 5K run or 5K walk are $18, with children 12 and under invited to the fun run for $5.

The 5K begins at the start/finish line at Memorial Park and heads down Main Street to Broadway Street where the participants hang a left to State Street; from there, the competitors come up where they turn right on Martin Luther King Jr. Street until they reach Homochitto Street; a left will take the runners up to Arlington Avenue where they veer left back toward State; another right on State brings the runners down to Auburn Avenue where they make a U-turn and head back up Main to the finish line.

The course has been marked since Friday night.

&uot;Usually one of our active or previous members who will be participating will step up and say, ‘I’m running in the race, let me run (the course Friday),’&uot; Cross said. &uot;It’s whoever takes charge really.&uot;

Last year, Natchez native and current Portland, Ore., George Marshall IV cruised to the finish line on the men’s side in 18:19 defeating former state Rep. Andrew Ketchings, whose 18:53 was the only other sub-19 minute race.

Natchez resident Lena Yarbrough’s 21:53 was tops on the women’s side.

Today’s run is the major spring fund-raiser for the JA, with the fall’s shrimp boil helping to fund JA projects throughout the year.

Cross and JA president Shannon Burts hope the event’s numbers are up compared to last year’s, which were slightly down from the 266 that competed in 2002.

&uot;What we run into during the spring is there is so much going on. There’s lots of activity everywhere,&uot; Cross said. &uot;Sometimes people are busy doing other things. Hopefully, the turnout from the River City Classic a month ago is a good sign.&uot;