JFCS of Long Beach and West Orange County, Meals on Wheels of Long Beach, and U.S.VETS-Long Beach have joined together to form the first annual Long Beach Charity 5K/10K Series. The three nonprofits each have similar 5K or 10K walking, running, and rolling events, and those who participate in all three events during 2019 will receive a special medal recognizing their accomplishment and their philanthropic contribution to make Long Beach and the surrounding area a better place for its residents. “This partnership is a win-win for all three agencies, as it will bring awareness about our missions and give our events greater exposure,” said Kathryn Miles, JFCS executive director. “Even though each agency has a meaningful mission and fills its own important niche in the fabric of our community, all three improve the lives of those they touch,” added Brenda Threatt, U.S.VETS-Long Beach executive director. “It is a great way to recognize our friends and neighbors who generously support locally-based charities, and to encourage others to combine a healthy activity with the satisfaction of knowing that they have made a difference in the lives of those helped by our agencies,” said Bill Cruikshank, Meals on Wheels Long Beach executive director.
The same concept has been used for several years in West Orange County between the cities of Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Cypress. Mark Dressner, chair of the JFCS Resource Development Committee, thought that the idea might apply to human services agencies as well and helped to launch the partnership. “We hope that through this collaboration there will be increased awareness of each agency, thus growing participation in all three events,” said Dressner.
JFCS Race With A View 2019 will kick off the series on Sunday, May 5 in Downtown Long Beach, followed by U.S.VETS-Long Beach Storm the Beach 5k/10k on Saturday June 15, also held in Downtown Long Beach, and then Meals on Wheels of Long Beach 5k/10k at Long Beach City College on Saturday, July 13.
Participants should register for each race, and the commemorative medals will be available for pick-up upon completing the Meals on Wheels event. There is no cost to participate in the series other than the registration fees for each event.
Online registration is available for each event. For Race With A View 2019, visit www.racewithaview.com. For Storm the Beach 5K/10K, visit http://bit.ly/usvetsstormthebeach. For Meals on Wheels of Long Beach 5K/10K, visit www.mowlb.org/5k.html
For more information on any of these events, contact Amber at (562) 439-5000.
This article was released by JFCS of Long Beach & West Orange County.