HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Packzi Day came early in Hamtramck for the 12th annual Packzi Run.
The 5K is put on by Tour De Troit and sponsors as a fundraiser for renovating Hamtramck parks and helps the Hamtramck DDA with its non-motorized transportation plans. Since the beginning, the run has raised $30,000 for the Hamtramck DDA.
On Saturday nearly 1,800 people met at 10 a.m. on the corner of Joseph Campau Avenue and Hanley Street to take on the certified 5K course.
After racers complete the run, they get a paczki, a beer, and a shot of vodka -- paczki vodka.
The idea is to celebrate the city’s rich Polish roots while also exploring what the city has become.
“Hamtramck is really one of the most diverse and fantastic cities I think we have in Michigan and originally it was known for a lot of its Polish immigrants that came here,” Tour De Troit director Vittoria Katanski says. “We’re one of those races that doesn’t have a lot of vendors on site because we want the city to be the vendor and let people spend their money in this great town.”
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