Giving back goes hand in hand with almost every running community and I have had the pleasure of fundraising for many worthy charities as a runner. But soon after launching Coastal Race Productions, it dawned on us that we hadn’t even begun to realize the impact we could have from a sports tourism and race management standpoint. Now, almost 12 years later the same still is true as we are constantly growing and evolving and asking ourselves how best can we impact our communities for the good. There are two main areas of focus that are very dear to our hearts, one being the impact we are having on local food banks through our Miles for Meals program and the other is the impact within our exceptional or special needs community.
Most who visit and many who live here may not even realize that 20% of people in Brunswick County are whats considered food insecure. Sadly, 51% of children also fall in to that category and 90% of school kids receive free or reduced cost meals in school. Through our program, Miles for Meals, and engaging with our participants we have been able to donate 7656 pounds of food so far this year alone which is equivalent to about 6000 meals. We foreseen that this number will continue to grow as do our races and our voice for this great need.
The second outreach includes members of our exceptional or special needs community through an organization called Ainsley’s Angels of America. Ainsley’s Angels is an impact-focused organization whose mission it is to ensure everyone can experience and participate in endurance events and build awareness about the the special needs community through inclusion in all aspects of life. They pair endurance runners with individuals who have disabilities that prevent them from participating in races. Volunteer runners push these angel-riders in specially adapted chairs during events so that they to can experience the joy of crossing a finish line. These racing chairs or chariots have been a staple at all of our events since the beginning and they bring so much joy to all!
If anyone you may know is a member of the special needs community and would enjoy the opportunity to participate in a race and experience the joy of crossing a finish line please contact Phillip Batholomew who is the Ainsley’s Angels Ambassador of Coastal SC via email at coastalsc@ainsleysangels.org or by calling 910-690-6882. Their mission is, “Together, we shall educate, advocate and celebrate inclusive communities while connecting everyone through empowerment and belonging”. The racing chariots have become a staple at all of our races and Coastal Race Productions is proud to sponsor ALL angel-riders so there is no cost to the families whatsoever. It is inclusion without limits and let’s keep moving forward – together!
To connect with JoJo you can email her directly at jojo@coastalraceproductions.com or visit www.coastalraceproductions.com