Support Family Promise this Memorial Day

This Memorial Day Weekend (May 23rd), we will be hosting a virtual charity 5k benefiting Family Promise.

LINK TO FACEBOOK EVENT & REGISTRATION: https://www.facebook.com/events/690271351809067/

My friend, Jiggy Gosalia, had the idea to host that event that would actually benefit members of our community who are most vulnerable to the economic and medical implications of the coronavirus crisis. He asked me about his idea to host a 5k between some club runners and encourage donations to some charity that would accomplish this. After some research and brainstorming, Jiggy settled on Family Promise, and we started preparing to invite our friends and other collegiate running clubs.

About Family Promise: Family Promise is a non-profit organization whose comprehensive model includes prevention, shelter, and stabilization programs to address the range of issues affecting low-income families experiencing homelessness to help them rebuild their lives and find independent and sustainable housing. A large goal is to assist these families in various ways to avoid the trauma of homelessness and gain true financial independence. Family Promise is a transparent organization and they make effective use of every dollar donated. Their annual statistics reflect that, as in the previous year, 93,000 family members were served, 82% of the families they serve in shelter go on to secure housing, and they return $3 in goods and services for every $1 raised.

Jiggy was kind enough to summarize how the event will work, which I've included below. I can only take credit for some proof-reading and designing the logo (an artistic masterpiece, I know). I am excited for this event to happen (I'll be training for it!), and I hope you'll consider participating and supporting Family Promise!

1. Race Sign-Up

Runners will be able to sign up for the race using Google Forms (https://forms.gle/yvwAvE7GoodW2e8L7) that will have the link for the GoFundMe. A Facebook event will have all of this information needed and all of the forms pinned so that finding the information for event will not be a hassle. Race fee donations will be based on an honors-system. All runners will be given a unique race bib ID and after you sign up, will be put into a Google Sheets where the eventual results will be inputted by you. All runners will also be emailed a unique race bib! All information about the race will be posted on the Facebook event!

2. The Race

The race will be held on Saturday May 23rd at 10:30am (or anytime that Saturday if that time does not work for you). Runners can use this tool (https://onthegomap.com/#/create) for free to map any 5k route that you would like to run your race. Designing a fair route for yourself is on an honors system. You can run just for fun! Run for a PR! Or run to just feel like you are in a race again and get a temporary fix until we are all allowed to meet each other at a race again one day.

3. The Results

All Runners will be a given a unique Race Bib ID that will be uploaded on a Google sheet document upon race sign up. Results will be honors-system based and will be uploaded by you right onto the Google sheets located on the Facebook event page. All you will have to do is locate your race ID on that Google sheets and name and type-in your time. Upload your results by 11:59pm on Saturday. Results will be organized and posted later that next day on Sunday.

4. The Awards

We will mail awards to the top male and female racers, top 5k route design (based on a picture from the mapping website you use), the person with the median time, and the person most decked out in red, white, and blue. Routes and pics of yourself will be uploaded to this Google Photos Folder: (https://photos.app.goo.gl/sVqVz9NVHEFRWeVj6). All you have to do is name it with “your name_5k” (i.e., Sebastian Morales_5k). This will all be announced on the Facebook event!