Since 2012: 65 Roses (Cystic Fibrosis) - one of the local RD's does a lot of races where they get some of the funds. Atlanta's Finest contributes to the one of the Police charities (not sure which) Wounded Warrior project A Brest cancer event. Not a Komen one, but lots of pink there. Coming up: Epilepsy (not sure which charity specifically)
Since 2012:
65 Roses (Cystic Fibrosis) - one of the local RD's does a lot of races where they get some of the funds.
Atlanta's Finest contributes to the one of the Police charities (not sure which)
Wounded Warrior project
A Brest cancer event. Not a Komen one, but lots of pink there.
Coming up:
Epilepsy (not sure which charity specifically)
I ran and made an additional donation when I ran the Lou Gehrigs 10K this last January.
I'm guessing members of the race committee had ties to those communities. I give them credit for giving back to the community and the grass roots of the sport rather than ding them for which schools they chose to benefit.
I suppose that where you and I disagree. I would have more respect for an organization coming from a neighborhood such as Granite Bay going. on record to state that they're raising funds to support athletics in South Sac. I know Granite Bay...They don't need charity...other surrounding areas do. Giving back to themselves sends me a different message than the one you've described.
It's all good though. I seem to have a different opinion than most, but that's what makes it interesting, yes?
I suppose that where you and I disagree. I would have more respect for an organization coming from a neighborhood such as Granite Bay going. on record to state that they're raising funds to support athletics in South Sac. I know Granite Bay...They don't need charity...other surrounding areas do. Giving back to themselves sends me a different message than the one you've described. It's all good though. I seem to have a different opinion than most, but that's what makes it interesting, yes?
It's an interesting debate. When I hear that 100% of the proceeds go to name that charity, I always think it better because someone like American Cancer has admin fees which are understandable. I would prefer admin fees reducing donations just once.
They're giving back to the community, just not the one that meets your approval.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
I've always wondered how much of the race fee actually gets to the charity. I think that magazine over there did a story about it once, but I don't remember the breakdown on it. Maybe some RD could clear it up. Plus there is a difference between a for-profit race and a charity one.
I was on a race committee for a corporate sponsored charity race last month. For a small (400 runners) 5k, requiring 3 police, trophies, bibs, timing, course certification, food, t-shirts (water, DJ, photography, course marshalls, registration, web site, mile markers, map, were all donated) – after sponsorships and race fees ($25), we netted about $13K, or 50% after expenses. That was considered pretty good. Last year we got a couple thousand more, as we were required to use one fewer cop, and the food was donated, IIRC.
As for the race in this thread, seems hard to argue with what they're doing (supporting youth running clubs and high school xc teams).:
"The Urban Cow Half Marathon benefits and promotes the sport we love. The following local, non-profit youth running programs and high school x-country teams receive much needed funding from our event:
Fit for Girls
Oak Hill Running Club
Carmichael Running Club
Buffalo Babes
El Camino H.S. X-Country
Woodcreek H.S. X-Country
Elk Grove H.S. X-Country
St. Francis H.S. X-Country
Granite Bay H.S. X-County
Kennedy H.S. X-Country
Cordova H.S. X-Country
McClatchy H.S. X-Country
In addition, partial proceeds from Urban Cow go to the American River Parkway Foundation. The Foundation maintains the beautiful parkway where many of the aforementioned groups train."
I guess you're saying you wish that list were expanded? Or excluded some of the teams? They should have their own bake sale?
Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and roguesWe're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
Dave, I see that race as more of an entrepreneurial set up. They may not be in "need" of the money, but they are offering a service (the race) for a profit and they use said profit to fund their kids' activities. To me, it's similar to a little girl working her lemonade stand in front of her big house. If I want lemonade, then I don't mind encouraging her entrepreneurial spirit. I don't see it as charity.
If you feel bad for some other communities in your area which are more deprived, you can always suggest that they think about organizing races to fund activities for the kids there, or you can donate directly to them if you feel so inclined.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Drink up moho's!!
I mean, these neighborhoods are relatively affluent with median incomes $50,000 and above, especially Granite Bay with their estates on the shores of Folsom Lake. Like they need the charity? WTF????
50K is actually the US national median income from what I just Goggled, at least that is what the 2011 report showed that I found
Here is an article I found that lays it out pretty good to where the money goes in a race.What Happens to the Money
I have run a lot of races this year in Guam due to business travel. They have one or more 5K races for charity almost every weekend there. They cost between $7-$10 to enter and that includes a shirt (sometimes a nice tech shirt). They are not chip timed, but there is no way that the entrance fees cover the cost of putting on the races. Most of the money for the races comes from sponsors. Since it is a small island without a lot of large corporations, these are small mom and pop businesses that sponsor these races every weekend. I definately get more value than I pay for at these races and it is really the sponsor's money that helps the charities.
I think once you get into the 'could my money go to a better cause' thing it really never ends... I mean, some communities in the US are less advantaged than others, should they get the money for sports instead? Well, what about the kids in the US who don't have money to eat, much less play sports? What about the kids in other countries who are suffering needlessly because of a lack of clean drinking water? $50 might pay for part of a sports program here in the US, but how many vaccines could it buy? How many mosquito nets?
For this reason I separate my racing and my giving. I do races that appeal to me because it's a distance I want to race, in a location that's convenient to me, or because they're club points races for my team. I don't do races that raise money for causes I oppose, but that's as far as my attention to that goes. 'Doing' a race usually does nothing for a charity other than the percentage they get after costs from your entry fee. If you have $5-10 extra to help out a cause you support, give them that money directly, rather than doing a $25-$30 race of which they get $5-10 after costs.
(If I know the RD/ If I know they're getting a bunch of stuff donated it is a different issue. And of course all of you who are RDs, who do a bunch of work putting on a race to raise money for a cause, you're doing great work.)
I think once you get into the 'could my money go to a better cause' thing it really never ends... I mean, some communities in the US are less advantaged than others, should they get the money for sports instead? Well, what about the kids in the US who don't have money to eat, much less play sports? What about the kids in other countries who are suffering needlessly because of a lack of clean drinking water? $50 might pay for part of a sports program here in the US, but how many vaccines could it buy? How many mosquito nets? For this reason I separate my racing and my giving. I do races that appeal to me because it's a distance I want to race, in a location that's convenient to me, or because they're club points races for my team. I don't do races that raise money for causes I oppose, but that's as far as my attention to that goes. 'Doing' a race usually does nothing for a charity other than the percentage they get after costs from your entry fee. If you have $5-10 extra to help out a cause you support, give them that money directly, rather than doing a $25-$30 race of which they get $5-10 after costs. (If I know the RD/ If I know they're getting a bunch of stuff donated it is a different issue. And of course all of you who are RDs, who do a bunch of work putting on a race to raise money for a cause, you're doing great work.)
Very well stated, Meaghan.
I'm with meaghan on this one. I might not run a race if I really couldn't stomach who was sponsoring it (like R&R or Disney) but I select races based on how close they are to my house and how they fit into my training.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
#artbydmcbride
I think it is pretty naive to assume you know for a fact that a community is perfectly demographically level throughout and has no poor folks at all. Your biased opinion of a neighborhood is less compelling than that someone felt there was a need in that neighborhood enough to organize a race to help. Maybe folks in surrounding areas will come there to the sports facilities.
Runners run
KillJoyFuckStick
I always ride my high horse to races.
You people have issues
Sorry I voiced my opinion. It won't happen again.
Former Bad Ass
Unless someone's race is the 1st Annual People for Fracking and Barbequed Cats 5K, I'll go. If they can get the small details of a successful event right, that's even better.
Eh, yeah, I would pass on that charity too.
Damaris