New York Road Runners Donate $1 Million To Relief Efforts
"The Race To Recovery" will help victims of Hurricane Sandy.
“The Race To Recovery” will help victims of Hurricane Sandy.
On Thursday afternoon, the New York Road Runners, organizers of the ING New York City Marathon, announced they will donate one million dollars — or $26.20 for every runner who runs in Sunday’s New York City Marathon — to kick off “The Race To Recovery,” a relief fund for victims affected by Hurricane Sandy. In addition, Jack and Susan Rudin and the Rudin Family Foundations also announced an up front donation of $1.1 million and race title sponsor ING announced a $500,000 contribution.
The announcement comes at a time when many are conflicted as to whether or not moving forward with the race is the right move. The annual event, which attracts some 47,000 runners from around the world, will take place as scheduled on Sunday morning from Staten Island, mayor Michael Bloomberg announced at a press conference on Wednesday.
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Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of the New York Road Runners, earlier today defended Bloomberg’s decision to stage the race, saying that this year’s marathon transcends the act of taking part in a foot race.
“This isn’t about running, this is about helping the city,” Wittenberg said earlier today. “We’re dedicating this race to the lives that were lost and helping the city recover. We want to raise money and awareness.”
The New York Road Runners are encouraging all runners, families and friends, as well as the organization’s 60,000 members, to match or surpass the $26.20 per runner donation online at the Mayor’s Fund or CrowdRise.