This year’s Cellcom Green Bay Marathon marked the first time that all three marathon events sold out. The demand for a race entry left late registrants with one option to gain a spot at the starting line – Run for a Reason; and left our charity partners with the largest donation in the marathon’s 11-year history.
This year’s Cellcom Green Bay Marathon generated at total of $90,067 in proceeds for its three charities – $30,067.49 of that coming from direct fundraising through the Run for a Reason program, $22,488.83 in general fundraising (amounts raised for all three charities) and $37,511.17 in additional operating proceeds from the event. This brings the total donated by the event to local charity partners to more than $410,000.
Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, the Boy & Girls Club of Green Bay and Cerebral Palsy, Inc. each received $20,000 today at the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay, a combination of the remaining Run for a Reason money and the contribution from the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Charities Foundation.
“Our involvement with the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon has been rewarding on many levels,” said John Benberg, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club. “This opportunity helped us develop an award-winning Love-To-Run program for Club kids, and we have developed a lot of relationships with great people who put on this extraordinary event. We’re better as an organization for this experience and I am grateful to Cellcom leadership for giving us the chance.”
This year, the marathon gave 615 free mini-marathon entries to youth and 174 free entries to adult coaches in the Love-To-Run (L2R) program. The retail value of these entries exceeded $10,000. The L2R program was developed for the purpose of increasing youth interest in the sport of running and increasing youth participation in the 2.62 mile mini-marathon.
The Boys & Girls Club is concluding its three-year partnership with the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. The marathon is currently accepting applications for a new charitable partner for the next three years. More information is available at www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com or by calling race director Sean Ryan at 920-606-2458.
The seventh annual Mary Poppele Award, which is given annually to the top fundraiser, was also presented today. Recipients Jeff and Laurie Csuy of Green Bay raised $3,085 for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Charities Foundation. The award is given in memory of Mary Poppele, an avid marathon fundraiser, who passed away in April 2004, while training for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.
Jeff Poppele, Mary’s husband, now serves as the Marathon’s volunteer charity fund-raising director. “Mary’s memory lives on through hundreds of people who raise money for the Marathon’s charity partners,” said Poppele. “Mary was a very giving person who was always helping those in need.”
Of the 156 active fund-raisers this year, 129 received free registrations through the marathon’s Run for a Reason program. The marathon waives the registration fee for all participants who raise more than $250.
In addition to a positive community influence, marathon organizers estimate the three-day weekend event had an economic impact of more than $1 million.
“The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon is much more than a running event,” said Ryan. “Each year, thousands of volunteers, participants and businesses come together to benefit our community in many, many ways.”
The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon seeks to create community spirit through a world-class marathon for people of all abilities. To learn more, visit www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com.