Second Saturday Shout-out: “5k on the Runway” Runners
Welcome back to Second Saturday Shout Out! This month’s shoutout goes to the two thousand runners who ran the “5k on the Runway” race to raise money for United Way Suncoast. The race was canceled the past two years due to the pandemic, however the runners jumped right back into it this year.
The “5K on the Runway race” is an annual run on one of the tarmacs at Tampa International Airport. Last Saturday, April 2nd, two thousand runners gathered at the least-used plane runway and ran 3.1 miles for charity.
The charity that the race organizers raise money for is the United Way Suncoast, which aims to help those who reside in the Suncoast region of Florida by providing programs that aid with childhood literacy, financial education, climate disaster prevention, and other support services for our communities. The group also tries to achieve their goals, like breaking the cycle of generational poverty throughout the local region, by mobilizing the community to donate, advocate for better government policies, and volunteer. All help is welcomed!
It is so amazing to see people raise money in order to help neighbors in our communities and the fact that it is coupled with the opportunity to run a race where there are planes taking off and landing right next to you is so unique.
This year, participants raised $83,000 for the charity, and have raised a total of $500,000 over the course of the 8 annual runs.
The good-doing extended past the Tampa Bay area, as the organizers developed a virtual run in parallel to the in-person run, which allowed people all over the world to sign up and donate to a good cause. These people would be able to do their own 5K run wherever they were located and still help out a local charity.
Tampa Bay is one of the largest growing metropolitans in the entire country. With great growth also comes certain problems for communities, especially those without access to certain resources. We at Citriclean are so inspired by both the organizers of the “5K on the Runway,” as well as the United Way Suncoast for doing good in our community and creating ways to help those who need it most.
If you want to read more about the United Way Suncoast and what they do, you can visit their website. Besides that, take this as your sign to commit an act of kindness in your community and spread positivity throughout the world!
