The Dirigo Divas participate in the Dempsey Challenge 5K walk Sunday in Dixfield. From left are Sue Bousquet, Terri Cox, Deb Towle, Mary Virgin-Brooks and Donna Gilbert. They raised $7,312 for the Dempsey Center. Submitted photo

About 75 people participated in 5K events Sunday, raising over $12,000 for a local scholarship and the Dempsey Center.

Runners participate in Dee Dee’s Swift River Trail 5K Run and Walk on Sunday in Mexico, raising about $5,000. The money supports a high school scholarship named in memory of a Telstar Regional High School student from Andover who died in an automobile accident in 2007. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

Eighty-nine registered for the second annual Dee Dee’s Swift River Trail 5K Run and Walk to bring in about $5,000 for the Dee Dee Palmer Memorial Scholarship Fund, according to organizer Glenn Gordon.

The scholarship is in memory of Dorothy Dawn “Dee Dee” Palmer of Anover who was killed in an automobile accident in November 2007 while a junior at Telstar Regional High School in Bethel. The first scholarship was awarded in June 2008 to a Telstar senior from Andover pursuing higher education and a career in a medical field.

Money raised from the Swift River Trail 5K Run and Walk sustains the Telstar scholarship fund and establishes one at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford in Palmer’s name.

Sixty-nine of the registrants ran or walked the Swift River Trail starting at the Mexico Recreation Park. The others donated to the cause.

Gordon won the 5K run on the mostly flat course of 4-wheeler trails. His time was 22 minutes and 56 seconds. Daniel Hanson came in second at 25:35 and Allison Wyman was third at 26:19.

The Dirigo Divas, including Sue Bousquet, Mary Virgin-Brooks, Terri Cox, Donna Gilbert, Bethany Meehan-Poulin and Deb Towle, began their Dempsey Challenge 5K walk from Dirigo High School in Dixfield, raising $7,312 for the Dempsey Center.

“All of our fundraising efforts help keep services at the center free for those who need them,” Meehan-Poulin said.