Running with Ed: Putting $$ Back in our Classrooms!

When it comes to supporting local nonprofits, few towns can compare to the way ours financially boosts the many charities that help make this one of the most desired places to live in the country. 

While I support a number of nonprofits throughout the year and during the annual Live PC Give PC event in November, there is one cause and fundraiser that is most near and dear to my heart: The annual Running with Ed (RWE) relay-race fundraiser to benefit the Park City Education Foundation (PCEF) – held this year on Saturday, May 20th.  

In its 14th year, RWE puts the “fun” in fundraiser, with a party-vibe from start to finish, plus silly costumes encouraged for the individuals and teams who complete the 26.4-mile course. And it’s the fun – along with more than $2-million dollars raised for local schools – that helped RWE earn the distinction of “Park City’s Best Fundraising & Sporting Event” for the past nine years. 

Part of the fun is checking out the parties put on by parents and volunteers at each of the school stops along the way. This year’s route hits six of PCSD’s school sites, and you can expect to find food and games at each location to help break up the course into manageable legs, including: 

• Leg 1 – 4.2 Miles – Basin Recreation Field house to Jeremy Ranch Elementary 
• Leg 2 – 1.6 Miles – Jeremy Ranch Elementary to Ecker Hill Middle School  
• Leg 3 – 3.5 Miles – Ecker Hill Middle School to the Base of the Utah Olympic Park Ski Jumps (view the Strava map of the Singletrack Trail portion of Leg 3 HERE) 
• Leg 4 – 5.7 Miles – Base of the UOP Ski Jumps to Parley’s Park Elementary School (view the Strava map of the Singletrack Trail portion of Leg 4 HERE) 
• Leg 5 – 4.5 Miles – Parley’s Park Elementary School to McPolin Elementary School 
• Leg 6 – 1.3 Miles – McPolin Elementary School to Treasure Mountain Jr High School 
• Leg 7  – 4.4 Miles – Treasure Mountain Jr High School to Trailside Elementary School (view Strava map of the Trail portion of Leg 7 HERE) 
• Leg 8 – 2.4 Miles – Trailside Elementary School to Basin Recreation Fieldhouse 

Check out an interactive course map by clicking here, while detailed information to help you decide which team member should run which leg is found here. Based upon weather and our record snowfall, the course is subject to change.

I will be returning to chair the event again this year and am excited to announce that all Park City School District (PCSD) teachers and school employees can run free of charge for the first time, thanks to the Excellent Educator Program, sponsored by the extraordinarily generous Doilney and Louis families, which will cover their $50 entry fee. PCSD employees who want to take advantage of this offer should email [email protected] for the coupon code to use when registering. 

Speaking of registration, Early Bird registration of $100 opened on March 1, with the price increasing to $125 after March 31 at 11:59 p.m. Student registration is $50, and RWE uniquely manages to get students involved in the fundraising that directly benefits their own school, since the top fundraising school communities are rewarded with cash grants for their participation, with the No. 1 school winning $5,000, second place earning $3,000 and third winning $2,000. The grants are sponsored by Park City Mountain/EpicPromise, and every school with 50% or greater participation receives a $1,000 grant.   

And while it’s fun to see grown men running in tutus, there is a serious side to RWE, which is the fact that Utah’s schools are sorely underfunded, and PCSD loses 96% of local state-collected education tax dollars to other school districts. Monies raised by RWE fund critical needs like STEM project materials, teacher grants, college prep materials for at-risk students, afterschool programs, art supplies and reading materials. PCEF has worked tirelessly since 1986 to help local children have access to programs similar to those in which their peers in better-funded states are able to participate. 

If you’re not up for running (or walking, skipping or dancing your way through the course) you can volunteer by clicking here. And if you’d like to sponsor a team, may I be so bold as to request you choose to support my fundraiser by clicking here and searching for “Christine Grenney?” Click here if you’d prefer to donate directly to a Classroom Grant ($2,500); Express Grant ($1,000); Preschool, Elementary Art & Afterschool ($500); PCCAPS, Bright Futures or STEM ($250); or to Support our Students, Teachers & Schools ($50).  

Looking to learn more about giving back in Park City and the surrounding communities? Reach out to the Choose Park City team! Connect with Christine Grenney at 435-640-4238 or Brendan Trieb at 585-410-5536, or visit their website by clicking here.