St. Clair County Community College Professor James Berry has been picked to run as an honored participant with Gov. Jennifer Granholm in the fifth annual Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Run on Monday, Sept. 1.

Berry will participate as an Ambassador of Physical Fitness, a group of only 11 Michigan residents chosen for their ability to be role models and spokespeople for physical activity.

The Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Run is a noncompetitive run of about five miles over the Mackinac Bridge, which joins the state’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. The event is organized by the governor’s office, Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness/Michigan Fitness Foundation and Mackinac Bridge Authority.

For overall participation, 300 runners were chosen by lottery for the event. The run was established in 2003 to promote physical activity and is part of the Mackinac Bridge Walk, now in its 51st year.

Berry, 60, of Port Huron Township is excited to take on the challenge. “I’m absolutely delighted to have the honor to run with the governor across such a magnificent structure,” he said.

Berry had open-heart surgery in 2005 and since then has made physical fitness a priority in his life. He has completed several half-marathons and in October completed the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon.

He has taught education, psychology and reading at SC4 since in 1987.

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