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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

Youth will have the opportunity to compete while supporting a good cause in the Mission Triathlon on Aug. 21.

Lomax Assembly of God is hosting the event again this year to raise funds for the Boy and Girls Missionary Challenge and Speed the Light. Both are Assemblies of God programs to raise funds for supplies for missionaries. Bryan Easterling, junior high pastor at Lomax, said Speed the Light is focused on providing clean drinking water in Africa as this year’s project.

Cathy Newton, children’s pastor at Lomax, said the event is open to those 6-17 years old. Divisions will be 6-8 years old, 9-11 years old, 12-14 years old and 15-17 years old.

The event will start with the swim portion in the city pool.

“It is going to be different distances for different age groups,” Chris Newton, associate pastor at Lomax, said.

Next, participants will bike through neighborhoods near the city park on closed streets with local law enforcement onsite to keep the youth safe. Then, the run portion will go through city park to conclude the race.

Newton said she enjoys seeing the children being physically involved in helping missions and seeing the support of the community.

“We love our community, and we want to make sure we engage our community,” Chris Newton said. “We want to make sure that we raise up a generation that also wants to support missions … and that is one thing these events let us do is allow our children to be stakeholders in supporting missionaries.”

Easterling said this event can also give students just a little glimpse of the physical stress missionaries may face traveling in foreign countries.

Cost to register is $30. Registration can be completed at  runsignup.com/Race/AL/Clanton/MissionsTriathlon.

The church would like to raise $10,000.