The do-gooders behind the Let’s Get Sandy Run for a Cause, a 5K race that brought together nearly 850 people who helped raise a total of $42,000 in 2012 and 2013 for local Superstorm Sandy aid, have decided to donate this year’s event proceeds to local issues that incorporate more than just storm recovery.
The third annual event in Beach Haven on Saturday, Nov. 29, now dubbed the Queen City Runraiser 5K, will benefit the Jetty Rock Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Jetty brand that is dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations in the local region.
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| Photo via Facebook The funds raised during the event will be distributed through Jetty Rock and ALO. |
“We’ve had a lot of great success raising money for Sandy over the past two years,” said Jane Kleber, one of the four Beach Haven natives, including Natalie Aftanis and Chloe and Catherine Snyder, who founded the race. “Everybody’s been so great; the whole community has been so great. We just wanted to shift our focus a little bit away from Sandy.”
Jetty Rock is “just such a great organization, and their organization encompasses so much,” Kleber added. “They donate money to a ton of different community events, children’s projects and things like that. They’re very local, and it kind of fits in with what we’re going for because obviously we want to help our local community in every way we can. Now that the urgency of Sandy has passed, we want to be able to help our community in other ways. These are the things we’ll be able to do.”
To better integrate the event’s initiative, the race will be held, rain or shine, the same day as Small Business Saturday – a nationwide event led by American Express that encourages shoppers to patronize local businesses. The campaign is being bolstered locally by the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce.
That weekend also incorporates the beginning of Beach Haven’s annual Celebrate the Season festivities, including an Arts, Crafts and Gifts Show at the Beach Haven Firehouse, a Christmas Soirée with horse and carriage rides at Kapler’s Pharmacy and a Tree of Warmth event hosted by Murphy’s Market to benefit the St. Francis Food Pantry, as well as an open house at the Long Beach Island Historical Museum.
“We’re just hoping it’s a really great event,” Kleber said. “We’re not doing an after-party or anything like that, but we would really encourage everyone to go out to the different stores. We’re hoping to bring a lot of people down to Beach Haven to experience Beach Haven and the small businesses after the run.
“We all grew up in Beach Haven, so we really, really love it there,” Kleber added. “We love all the businesses; we really want to support all of them. That’s why we’ve chosen to do it on Small Business Saturday, to liven up the off-season a little bit.”
Participants are encouraged to run or walk the race, a flat course that begins and ends at Veterans Bicentennial Park, located between Amber Street and Engleside Avenue, as well as to bring their dogs and strollers, “to make it a family affair.”
Prizes will be awarded to the top three overall male and female competitors and top two male and female competitors in the following groups: 19 and under; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60 and older. Timing will be provided by DQ Events. Water and snacks will also be supplied.
To guarantee a race T-shirt, participants must register this week. Pre-registration costs $27 for adults and $15 for children younger than 12. To sign up, visit dqutridu.com/jrf.htm.
School or running clubs can register for a special group rate by calling Kleber at 609-709-8413 or emailing qcrunraiser@gmail.com.
Day-of registration costs $30 for adults and $20 for anyone under 12 years old. Checks must be made payable to the Jetty Rock Foundation. Checks can be mailed to DQ Events, P.O. Box 555, Collingswood, N.J. 08108.
For more information about the event, visit facebook.com/queencityrunraiser.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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