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In memory of a St. George woman and her son who died two years ago in a domestic violence-related murder, a domestic violence shelter will hold its first-annual 5K run and fundraiser this weekend.
The DOVE Center Duck Dash will be held on Saturday in Confluence Park, featuring a rubber duck race down the Santa Clara River for more than 50 available prizes and a separate 5K race. All proceeds will go toward the DOVE Center, a 15-year-old St. George shelter that takes in victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and also provides needed counseling, justice system advocacy and support groups.
For $5, participants can adopt a rubber duck and watch it race down the Santa Clara toward the finish line. Prizes such as free spa day worth $750 and a $300 shopping spree at Zions Outlet Mall are up for grabs based on how well someone's chosen duck does.
For those who would rather race on land, they can enter a 5K race for $25. Those who wish to register for either competition can visit DoveCenterDuckDash.com.
The event is being held to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the death of Michelle Jones and her 19-year-old son Owen Christopher Ellis. The two were allegedly shot Feb. 18, 2011, by Jones's husband, Richard Andrew Jones, who was later charged with first-degree murder after an apparent unsuccessful suicide attempt.
Friends and neighbors at the time said the couple had a troubled marriage and that Michelle Jones was planning to leave her husband.
The 5K begins Saturday at 10 a.m. at Confluence Park, 1850 S. Convention Center Drive. The duck race begins at 11 a.m.
Twitter: @KimballBennion