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Thank You for Helping Us
Do The Run Thing
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The mission of Do the Run Thing is to create and nurture sustainable running communities that improve the health and happiness of the overall community | |
With your help in 2023, Fleet Feet & YellowJacket Racing, along with you the running & walking community were able to donate thousands of dollars to various organizations and causes plus helping improve youth fitness programs and groups, families who suffered tragic losses, giving hundreds of shoes to various sectors along with spreading awareness of what these organizations do in our local community to make it better.
And at the same time, while keeping to our core, doing this all through running and walking!
You Did The Run Thing! We Did The Run Thing!
Yes, Fleet Feet & YellowJacket Racing is a small business retailer and event production company, which allows us the flexibility to spread charitable contributions and endeavors throughout the community and in doing so we believe we have social responsibility to promote running and walking, but when able, to help our fellow neighbors and organizations through this movement. Thank you for the privilege to Do The Run Thing!
Read on for the 2023 recap of some of the things we (all of us) collectively did to enhance our community and Do the Run Thing!
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Teddy Bears to Bunny Ears & Santa's Stampeding | |
We began the year as hundreds of Teddy Bears were donated to Bivona Child Advocacy Center in Rochester and Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo at the Teddy Bear Trot. These bears along with monetary donations helped these orgs support the children who are in crisis by giving them something to hug and love
We donned Bunny Ears at Hippity Hop CommUnity Fun Run/Walk to help raise money for our fur friends at Erie County SPCA in Buffalo, plus garnering hundreds of juice boxes and dollars for the children served through Bivona.
Then we culminated the year with hundreds of Santa's Stampeding through the streets of Rochester & Buffalo, raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities of WNY and Bivona, plus having hundreds of blankets plus sweat shirts/pants donated to Bivona in addition to monetary donation.
Thank you for Doing the Run Thing!
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Through several of YellowJacket Racing Spring Events we were able to donate thousands of dollars to the charity groups that help support the water stops and road marshal spots of Flower City Challenge. These groups included Mt Hope Cemetery, Rochester Speed Skating Group, Irondequoit Football, Black Girls Do Bike, Troop 260, Puppy Mill Rescue, ROCcovery Fitness, Junior League, Eagle Star Housing, RescuePit, The Friends of Mt Hope and The Harley School. In addition to assisting the Monroe Milers, a youth city of Rochester running program, with complimentary entries into the Wegmans Family 5K for their participants. The Letchworth event of Sehgahunda and Vale of Three Falls helped raise $2000 for the Finger Lakes Trail Commission.
Your participation in these events helps make this possible - way to Do The Run Thing!
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The Gift of Running Shoes | |
With our vendor partners, Saucony and Puma, we were able to donate footwear to various youth based organizations including Boys & Girls Club of Rochester, Urban Choice School and the Rochester City School District Cross Country Team Athletes.
In 2024, we will be launching a program to help cross country and track athletes who are unable to afford footwear, the opportunity to get a pair through Fleet Feet. More to come.
Your support of Fleet Feet helps make this possible - way to Do The Run Thing!
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Showing Love to a Family & our Public Servants | |
8 States for Maz - An overwhelming display of support and love for Fallen Officer, Tony Mazurkiewicz and his family and fellow First Responders.
Brett Sobieraski, former Rochester Police Sergeant, starting this endeavor by running 50 marathons in 50 days through 8 States from Florida to NY to honor his fellow comrade, raise awareness on his murder in the line of duty while helping raise over $100,000 for Tony's family.
On the final day 1000 people toed the line on Brett's final 3 miles of his trek and collectively helped raise this incredible amount of money for the family.
Truly a Do The Run Thing event that you helped make possible.
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Continuing to help families and First Responders, this summer we hosted a CommUnity Fun Run/Walk in support of Family Promise, an organization which helps family's who fall on difficult times to gain housing and home supplies they need to get started again. This event was a remarkable display of donated housewarming gifts such as towels, bedding, children's books, kitchen supplies and more in addition to monetary donations.
Towards the end of the summer, YellowJacket Racing hosted the First Responder's 5K in Webster, NY providing an opportunity to raise over $3000 for the FRST Agency, a non profit that supports First Responder's with post-tramatic stress.
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Raising Future Runners
The Webster Turkey Trot allows us the opportunity to do so many activities for youth running programs throughout the year, and this year there were quite a few major events we assist with completely subsidized by the Webster Turkey Trot.
On the eve of the McQuaid XC Invitational we host a Pasta Party for all Rochester City School XC Athletes. This is a special evening that allows us to connect with the athletes, give them a rah rah night to prep for the big race while also having guest speakers educating the athletes that running can become a career, whether it be as a store owner, a buyer, an outfitter, working for a vendor, helping produce the gear or even organizational roles in the run industry
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Another is the Webster 4th Grade Mile. This half century long annual event brings all the Webster 4th graders to North Ponds Park to run a one mile race. Boots (Owner of Fleet Feet & YellowJacket Racing) and his whole family ran it when they were young. We donate all the timing and finish line production so the kids can have a special morning in the park. It is remarkable to see all the kids go as hard as they can for that one mile.
This past year we were fortunate to be able to enhance a few Track Meets in the Spring such as the Hilton T&F Invitational along with this fall being at a City Schools XC Meet, Penfield/Irondequoit XC Invite, XC County Championship to name a few, providing music and finish lines just like you see in YellowJacket Racing events. Boots, as a former Section V athlete, wanted to help enhance the athletes experience at these events.
Trot also serves as the primary source of the Jim May Scholarship Fund, awarded to a Webster XC Athlete each year, along with donations to the Hope House Food Pantry.
This was all possible due to your Doing the Run Thing and supporting of Webster Turkey Trot.
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ROCtoberfest Raises over $15,000
Trust us, producing a race is not an inexpensive endeavor, and for charities it's even trickier since that is not their expertise. Thus ROCtoberfest was created to help charities raise money for their organizations and we produce the race for them, no expense to them. ROCtoberfest has become an excellent platform for non profits big and small to collect donations, showcase their endeavor to all the participants without the major work of creating then hosting the event. This year over $15,000 was raised with your help and four orgs raised over $1000 and were able to have a booth at the race to tell everyone what they do.
This is a perfect example of Do The Run Thing by helping lots of charities at one time while promoting running and walking
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Your support of Fleet Feet helped us provide gifts and donations to these organizations below | |
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Adapt Rochester
Al Sigl Center
American Cancer Society
Black Girls Run
Bridges For Brain Injury, Inc.
Camp Good Days and Special Times, Inc.
Child Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes
Genesee Figure Skating Club
Genesee Valley Rotary Camp (GVRC)
Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity
Hicok Center for Brain Injury
Holy Childhood
Literacy Rochester
Maplewood YMCA
Out of the Darkness Suicide Awareness
Pancreatic Cancer Association of WNY
Rochester Baseball League (RBL)
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Rochester Regional Health Nurses Week
Spencerport Youth Lacrosse
The Golisano's Children's Hospital
The HUGS Foundation, Inc
The Kessler Burn Center
United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes
Villa of Hope
Volunteers of America
Wayne Central Education Foundation
Wayne co Rural Ministry Come-Unity Center
Willow Domestic Violence Center of Greater Rochester
WNY Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
YMCA of Greater Rochester
*This is a summary list*
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The excerpts above are just a smattering of how Fleet Feet and YellowJacket Racing, along with you served this community, to enhance and better it for all while being active and doing something healthy.
We appreciate the opportunity to run and walk along side you, cheer you on and find opportunities on how we can support each other and the community.
That is Do The Run Thing!
Thank you and Happy New Year!
Regards,
Boots & Ellen
Owners, Fleet Feet & YellowJacket Racing
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