After six years Marden Marathon race director Amanda McAlpine and Elora Road Christian School are passing the event to a professional race organization.
Groves Hospital Foundation, the beneficiary of the annual fundraiser, held a celebration on Dec. 9 at the Wellington Road 7 school to thank staff, students and McAlpine for the years they’ve organized the race.
The foundation also introduced new race director Kelly Arnott from VR Pro, a professional race company.
VR Pro bought the race for $5,000 and most of the proceeds from the sale will be donated back to the school.
“It’s almost more of an honorarium as there are a lot of … expenses and supplies that the school went and donated in terms of signage and just race expenditure,” McAlpine said.
“It’s not really about the school making money, it’s about the school not losing money.”
She explained VR Pro was chosen because it was the only bidding group that agreed to continue supporting Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus.
McAlpine said the original idea was actually to have a backyard race to help raise money for the school.
“As the planning got underway it was decided that instead they would use this race as an opportunity to teach students about giving back and serving in their community and they would donate every penny raised back into … your community,” McAlpine told students.
“Then an external committee suggested that the hospital would be a great organization to donate to because it has widespread impact.
“So as a result the Marden Marathon in support of Groves Hospital Foundation was birthed.”
Over the past six years the event has raised more than $70,000 for the Groves Hospital Foundation.
Dr. Rob Norrie, a physician at Groves, told Elora Road Christian School students why their donation to the hospital is so important.
“We need your help and we have all kinds of needs and equipment that we have to purchase, but unfortunately the dollars don’t always come, and through … fundraising we’re able to help people,” Norrie said.
With the help of significant student fundraisers Kyle Katerberg and Alex deVries, Norrie showed students the “Bear Hugger” machine that was purchased with a portion of the school’s donations. It acts like an inflated heated blanket.
“This is something that we use to help people who are sick or who are recovering to keep them warm, because if people are cold they don’t get well very quickly,” he explained.
“So because of you guys this type of equipment is something that we get to use to help people – so thank you very much.”
In 2016 the Elora Road Christian School donated $11,746 from the Marden Marathon to the new Groves hospital project.
Arnott said the Marden Marathon would continue as the “Marden Marathon: It’s just a half.” It will take place on April 22 at 9:30am in 2017.
Although 100 per cent of the proceeds will not be going to the Groves Hospital Foundation, as was the arrangement with the Elora Road Christian School, Arnott said a portion of the proceeds would be donated to the hospital.
She also said VR Pro will be initiating ways to raise additional funds.
“What we’d like to set up with the hospital right away is online pledging donations,” she said.
Arnott also said she hopes the school, the hospital and anyone else involved with the Marden Marathon will stay involved with the race in the years to come.
For McAlpine, last week’s celebration was bittersweet.
“I’m a little emotional because I’m happy and sad today,” she told the students.
“It’s an exciting day because it’s a new chapter with the Marden Marathon and we’re going to pass the baton. But I’ve had such an amazing experience with all of you, so leaving that behind’s a little bit sad too.
“Being a part of the Marden Marathon has given me the opportunity to connect with so many amazing people and I’m humbled by the capacity to love and serve that I’ve seen by so many of you, both young and old.”
Groves hospital and foundation board representative Ian Hornsby acknowledged everything the school has done for the hospital.
“As a hospital we always have to raise money for equipment, we have to raise money to build a new hospital and without the help of people like you that would not be possible,” said Hornsby.
“So on behalf of the board of directors of the Groves hospital, I would like to thank you very, very much for everything you’ve done.”
To register for this year’s Marden Marathon visit http://vrpro.ca. Registration is half price throughout December.
