Education and Support for our Diverse Community

Like many of you, the daily news has been especially troubling these days for us. Between Covid, politics, riots and shootings, we are searching for positivity. So when Alyssa Mason approached us with an idea for a virtual race that was something positive and proactive that we could be a part of – we immediately signed on.

Alyssa wanted to do something hyperlocal to Rhode Island that would raise money and awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement here in our State. Her suggestion involved raising funds for children?s organizations that promoted education and support to our diverse community. In order to foster rich and inclusive cultures, we needed to start at the youngest ages.

We have been struggling with what can we do, within our wheelhouse, to help with this movement. We watch the news, we try to educate ourselves, we work on showcasing and supporting our diverse participant base, but it wasn?t enough. Essentially, how can we help further?

After some conversation with Alyssa, we knew this would be the right cause. For those that know me, I have been involved in multiple youth organizations that were focused in the education arena: School Committee, PTOs, Boosters, School Board Task Force, etc. While I have never been a teacher, I do have a passion for education.

Alyssa?s idea was to create a virtual event focused on the education of our communities youth, with a theme around the distance learning that many have been part. The goal of the event is to raise money for education of our minority population as they work through the challenge of today?s learning environment. There are 9 charities involved, all RI-based and all focused on youth and education.

We did want to note that 100% of the entry fees and dontations are going to these charities. Rhode Races is happy to donate our experience and support to this cause, as we wanted to DO something to help. The entry fee is low, to eliminate any barrier to joining the virtual race, but additional donations are happily accepted.

We hope that you will consider joining us as we ?Go the Distance? in this virtual 5k! Learn more here: https://runsignup.com/Race/RI/Providence/GoingtheDistanceVirtual5k