Happy New Year from the Volunteer Center of Randolph County! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. If you read my article last month titled “Make volunteering part of your New Year’s resolution” and were inspired enough to make that commitment, I happen to have a fun and dynamic way you can impact an organization of your choice for 2009. Participate in the eighth annual 2009 Human Race Event.
This year’s race is on Saturday, March 21 from 9 a.m. to noon at Memorial Park in Asheboro. It is one of two fundraisers that The Volunteer Center of Randolph County hosts every year to benefit our local non-profits.
Runners, walkers, kids of all ages, dogs, baby strollers, etc., are all welcome to attend the 5K walk/run. The race course covers the following streets: Church, Cooper, Albemarle, Uwharrie, Dixon, Sunset and then back to Church.
The Humane Society of Randolph County coordinates the Mutt Strut and that is open to any canine that wants to participate. There are trophies for the first, second and third place canines. Larry Reid with WKXR radio station and Terry Vuncannon Music will be there to host the race. It is a fun half day event for the whole family. The race, on average, has up to 45 non-profit organizations that participate, so it is a great way to see the variety of charities that service Randolph County and gather an understanding of what they are all about.
Back to how you can lend a helping hand at a non-profit organization in our community at the Human Race. I will take you step by step:
First, pick an organization that you and/or your canine would like to sponsor.
Second, call that organization and ask if they are participating in the Human Race on March 21.
Third, if they are not currently signed up to participate, tell them you want to raise funds for their organization at the race and to call The Volunteer Center of Randolph County at 336-626-6643. We can get them signed up very easily (they must have a 501.C3 status, a not-for-profit ID number). Once the organization is signed up and has established a team captain, you will be handed a brochure to gather signatures and sponsor commitments. Finally, all you have to do is ask people and/or businesses to sponsor you to walk/run/or mutt strut on March 21 with a monetary donation to benefit the particular non-profit you have chosen to support.
If that was not enough to encourage you to sponsor a non-profit in this year’s race, let me pass along some of the incentives for making the Human Race part of your good deeds for the year.
The Volunteer Center of Randolph County is giving away $500 to the individual who raises the most funds for an organization, $250 to the second place person and $100 to the third place person. Youth Groups are also encouraged to pick a non-profit to support and walk/run on event day. There are prizes for the top youth groups that raise the most money: $300 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place. The non-profit organization will benefit from those wanting to raise money by being open to receiving an additional $500 for the team that raises the most funds, $250 for the second-place team and $100 for the third place team.
Can you tell that The Volunteer Center wants everyone to win?
The reason we are able to offer such incredible incentives to participants is because of our sponsors: a great big THANK YOU to Community One Bank, Asheboro Elastics, Asheboro Honda, Asheboro Nissan, Randolph Hospital, Carolina Bank, Chick-fil-A, Designs Unlimited, First 1 Bank, Golden Corral, Insurance Associates of the Triad, Metals USA, Progress Energy, Pugh Funeral Home, Randolph Bank & Trust, Shaw Enterprises, The Timken Company, Asheboro Dermatology, BB&T;, Elastic Therapy, Bank of the Carolinas, EMBARQ, Hans Klaussner Foundation, Hunsucker Printing, Randolph Electric Membership, Randolph Oil Company, B & J Con-Sew, United Brass Works, Ridge Funeral Home and Cremation and Oliver Rubber. Also, a big Thanks to Asheboro Parks and Recreation for coordinating race day.
As you can see, many of our local businesses truly understand the impact this race has on our local charities. So does WGHP FOX 8. Emily Byrd will be our Torch Carrier and starting the race at this year’s event. I hope that the Volunteer Center has peaked your interest in wanting to participate in this year’s race. If you want to sponsor an organization and/or get an organization involved, contact me at (336) 626-6643 or by e-mail at amy@uwrandolph.org. We have all of the information and materials to get you started raising money for our local non-profits. Thanks for taking the time to read my monthly article and hope to see you volunteering at our center in the future.
Amy Byrd is coordinator of the Volunteer Center of Randolph County, a program of United Way. Byrd’s column appears the third Wednesday of each month.
