Now in its third year, the Capital Region Special Surgery Race for Hope is quickly becoming cemented as a growing annual tradition.
If you’re looking for reasons why this 5K is meeting success, you could consider the worthy causes (the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region and a patient fund at St. Peter’s Hospital), the atmosphere at the start/finish line, the early fall date or the location. You could also look to the people.
Last year, about 500 people participated in the race and perhaps another 700 turned out to offer support and enjoy the day. All said, in the past two years this event has raised about $100,000. That’s nothing to scoff at, especially these days. With registration building momentum and participation on track to exceed last year’s level, organizers hope it will again raise $50,000.
“In an economy like this, matching what you did the year before is growing,” said race organizer SarahNicole Mahoney of Capital Region Special Surgery in Slingerlands. “The corporate sponsors, their hearts are always in the right place, but there’s a lot of events in this town, and a lot of worthy organizations. … I think the success of this event continues to be led by the individual registrants.”
That includes individuals like Deb LaPietro, who will be running in the race for the third time and is organizing a team to memorialize a fellow teacher at Westmere Elementary School in Guilderland who died of cancer a few years ago.
The Farley’s Friends team will be a way to remember for those who knew Daryl Farley, a 22-year teacher of first- and second-graders.
“She was great with the little ones, that’s what we remember most about her,” LaPietro said. “She was just a kind, caring teacher that the kids just adored.”
Farley’s friends and family ran in the first Race for Hope on something of a whim as Farley lay at St. Peter’s Hospital. Now, LaPietro hopes that the run will become an annual tradition.
“It kind of brings us back, gets us together, and gives us time to remember,” she said. “Now every year when we do it, it will be in memory of her.”
Students are getting involved too, and they have a chance to bring a smartboard back to their school. This year, students in grade 9-12 can sign up as part of the “Educator’s Challenge.” The “school champion” who finishes with the best time will take a high-tech teaching tool back to school with them, a value of over $2,500 donated by the Audio-Video Corporation.
Kiera Heath, an incoming sophomore at Guilderland High School, was instrumental in getting the school’s varsity and junior varsity field hockey team signed up, a total of 33 girls. She learned about the run through her volunteer work at the Ronald McDonald House.
“I thought getting the team involved would be a good thing to get us involved in the community,” she said.
For those who don’t want to run or walk, CRSS’s parking lot will turn into a festival on race morning, with food and entertainment for young and old. The Charlie Watts Riots will be playing, the iconic Bettie’s Cakes double-decker cupcake bus is slated to be parked near the finish line and there will be community atmosphere to spare.
For the runners, this year’s race will feature digital chip timing, provided by USA Track and Field. The UAlbany athletics department will be providing much of the volunteer labor needed to run the race.
Walkers are also welcome to step off after the wave of runners starts. This year all ages will be welcome on the course, and those under 12 will have a reduced $10 entrance fee. Small children won’t be charged a fee, but those with strollers won’t be able to step off with the runners for safety reasons.
Registration closes at noon on Friday, Sept. 9, and the cutoff for mail-in registration falls on Monday, Sept. 5. The fee is $25, and the first 500 entrants will receive a free Race for Hope T-shirt.
The race starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10. Race packet pickup will start at 7 a.m. the day of race, and from Sept. 6-8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Special Surgery Offices at 1220 New Scotland Road in Slingerlands.
For more information or to register, visit www.raceforhopealbany.com.