Charitable races run the gamut in Eastern Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS - On nearly any given weekend in Iowa, athletes like Brita Loynachan of Marion don't have to search far to find a race to enter.

Increasingly, runners and non-athletes can choose from a multitude of events, as more charities turn to races and walks as a means to raise money and awareness of their cause.

“I'm drawn to races that are of interest to me,” said Loynachan, 47, a triathlete who has participated in events for Camp Courageous, Miracles in Motion and in the Especially for You Race Against Breast Cancer.

Loynachan was diagnosed with breast cancer and walked last year's race with her daughter after completing chemotherapy.

Some events turn to the unusual to stand out, such as the first local “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” on Saturday, in which members of the University of Iowa's Phi Delta Theta fraternity and others will wear red stilettos to raise funds for the Rape Victim Advocacy Program.

Dana Foster sees the wide array of races and walks that have popped up in recent years in her role as fitness director for the University of Northern Iowa's Wellness and Recreation Services.

“It seems like any more, they're all connected to a fundraiser of some type,” said Foster, 44, also a triathlete. “There are definitely more and more.”

Despite the proliferation, non-profits are finding success with the events. Typically, runners or walkers pay a registration fee of $25 or so, and some charities encourage participants to raise additional funds.

Especially for You, for example - now in its 21st year in Cedar Rapids - raised $300,000 last year. Nearly 15,500 people participated in 2010, and 16,000 are projected to walk or run in this year's event on Sunday, said Rebecca Jacobs, 57, chairwoman of the Especially for You steering committee.

Jacobs said many participants know a breast cancer survivor or someone who died of the disease. Money stays in the community and is used for mammograms and other screening exams for women who otherwise would not have access.

“It's a way of taking care of my neighbor, my sister, in a very special way,” Jacobs said.

Men are invited to participate in the race as non-competitors, said Jacobs, whose son organized a team for her after she was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago.

That connection is similar for the Alzheimer's Association's signature event, said Paige Knebel, 25, events coordinator for the group's East Central Iowa Chapter.

“Most have a family member or friend affected personally,” she said. “You see folks very passionate about supporting the cause.”

More than 1,000 people participated in last weekend's 3.25-mile Walk to End Alzheimer's in downtown Cedar Rapids. The walk and wraparound events should raise $122,000. Money supports local services and national research.

Like Mercy's race, this event, formerly known as the Memory Walk, is a long-standing tradition, in its 26th year.

Knebel said despite the increasing number of choices for participants, the walk remains a good fit because it raises awareness of Alzheimer's and is a healthy, family-friendly activity.

“We're very lucky to be in a city like Cedar Rapids and a state like Iowa that has a lot of these opportunities and people supportive of these activities,” she said.

The non-profit Spanda Inc. of Cedar Rapids already had a signature event but decided this year to add a 5K race, spurred by board members who are running enthusiasts, said Carol Luth, 49, director of Cedar Rapids Vision in Motion, which started in 2008 as a program of Spanda.

Spanda received a national CLASSY Award as one of the top 10 most creative fundraisers for its Cedar Rapids TalentFest 2011, but organizers hope the run will raise scholarship money and awareness of its local program that provides therapy for adults and children with vision problems.

The new race, called Band on the Run, is set for 4 p.m. Saturday. Musicians will perform along the route, and another new event, Appetite for Marion, will be held after the run in Marion Square Park.

Luth acknowledged that the fledgling race faces competition, in a sense, from other charity events. Yet some of the runners in Saturday's race have and will participate in other benefits, Luth said, including the Especially for You Race the next day.

“We're all in this big sea together,” she said.

Related articles