VIRTUAL DAFFODIL RUN DRAWS A CROWD

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County (BBBS), a program of the Center for Human Development (CHD), hosted its 10th Annual Daffodil 5K Run/Walk & 10K Run as a virtual event on Sunday April 26. Registrants chose their own 5K or 10K course, documented their participation, and tuned in for a celebratory live stream broadcast on the date of the event. (View a recording of that broadcast here). Organizers Katie Lipsmeyer, BBBS Marketing Director, and Jamie Cocco of 50/50 Fitness hosted the two-hour livestream on Facebook where they interviewed BBBS staff and supporters, showed pictures of participants, awarded many prizes donated by sponsors, and shared stories about BBBS mentees and mentors. 

The event raised over $50,000, nearly doubling the number of registrants from the time the event shifted from in-person to virtual in mid-March, for a total of 567 participants from 24 different states and as far away as Hawaii and Norway. Nearly 300 people submitted photos and videos of their run/walk in celebration through physical distance.

‘We are so grateful to our community of supporters who participated in this event,” said Jessie Cooley, BBBS Director. “Many people shared with us that they appreciated having something fun to look forward to during this challenging time. They said the event encouraged them to get outside and do something active and joyful, and they were happy to be able to support BBBS during this time.” 

The live stream featured many key players in the program, including former and current Bigs and Littles, staff and board members, and Bob Lowry, owner of Bueno Y Sano, former Big Brother, and long-time program supporter. Participants were eligible to win giveaways donated by local businesses, and State Representative Dan Carey awarded the prizes (virtually) to top finishers.

The Daffodil Run is the largest annual fundraiser for BBBS and provides vital funds for its mentoring programs. “Just as we’ve gone virtual with our race, we’ve gone virtual with all of our mentor matches,” said Claudia Pazmany, Advisory Board President and Executive Director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. “We so appreciate the commitment our runners and walkers made so that we can continue to honor our commitment to our Bigs and Littles during this difficult time.”

Lipsmeyer noted that while the fundraising was successful, the need is especially great during this difficult time. She said “during this time of social distancing, many of our littles and their families are struggling to find ways to stay engaged and mentally and physically active”.  She invited supporters to click here to donate toys or games on the BBBS wishlist. Donations to this effort will help families weather these extraordinary times.

The main sponsor of this year’s Daffodil Run was Lia Cars of Northampton and there were 61 sponsors in all. A complete listing of sponsors can be found here. For more information or to view the recording of the live stream, visit www.daffodilrun.com or find the YouTube video here.