Early Sunday morning, 50 runners/walkers lined up in front of the beautiful Harbor View Hotel, with the iconic Edgartown Lighthouse in the background, for the inaugural Teddy Bear Trot, Holiday 5K Fun Run & Walk.
Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club Executive Director, Peter Lambos, officiated the race. The Club organized the event to help support the Martha’s Vineyard Teddy Bear Suite Fundraiser and its goal of raising $15,000 for the Club’s vital After School Program.
Since it was a holiday fun run, participants were encouraged to dress as festive as possible. Tis the season to be merry and have fun, and there were some really great race outfits.
In addition to the great starting location, and the fun outfits, there was the fact that the race went through Edgartown, a totally different route for Island 5K races. Also, the finish line was at the beloved Martha’s Vineyard Teddy Bear Suite, where awards were given for a number of categories.
Bear-Worthy
Since it was a fun run, there were some beary cute awards. Club board member, Sydney Mullen, purchased small bears to give out as prizes.
With such a dynamic group running, folks young and old, some in strollers, and of course some dogs, the race was great for spectators and participants.
Our 1st place male was Michael Schroeder from West Tisbury. Point B Realty’s own, Allison Savva, was the first woman to cross the finish line (whootwhoot)!
For the kids, we had the lovely Catherine Cherry from Edgartown (14) as 1st Place for speed (girl) along with 1st Place for most festive dressed overall. Her tutu, sweater, and fabulous elf hat made to the most fun and holiday inspired outfit! Everyone loved her outfit.
For boys, we had Landon Cormie from Vineyard Haven (12) for 1st place for speed, and sadly, we really didn’t have much for the festive apparel in this age group, perhaps next year.
Best Festive Female was Mary Lee Schroeder from West Tisbury. She had a lot of fun with her outfit, and added a splash of Patriots love!
For Best Festive Male, Reaan Steenkamp took the prize. However, in this category, the men were lacking creativity. Reaan was wearing a santa hat, red sweater, and you may not be able to tell in the pic, but there were jingle bells on his sneakers – an added bonus.
For 1st place walkers, we had a tie, friends Jen Mederiros and Tammy Smith crossed at the same time.
For Best Festive Dog, Elizabeth Rothwell and Sasha Robinson-White’s Izzy took the cake. Whether she was walking in her red sweater or her teddy bear outfit, Izzy won.
In addition to the run, and the laughs, an added bonus was the hot chocolate people enjoyed after the run, from our friends at the Harbor View Hotel, at the Teddy Bear Suite. Also, the kids who were with their parents really enjoyed visiting the suite. A number of people had not been and really enjoyed the holiday splendor.
A big thank you to all those who participated and to those who volunteered their time to make it happen. What a great event it was! Save the Date for next year’s Holiday 5K fun run and walk which will be even bigger and better!
Fundraising Passes $14,000!
The Teddy Bear Trot raised $515.00 That brings the overall total raised for the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club to over $14,000 from the Teddy Bear Suite Fundraiser and its special events. That leaves us only $1,000 away from our goal!
The Martha’s Vineyard Teddy Bear Suite is still open today, Tuesday, December 22nd and December 23rd from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. There is still time to enjoy the beauty and holiday splendor and help raise $15,000 for the Club. You can donate in-person or online. Donate Now
$15,000 FUNDRAISING DOLLARS EQUAL:
- Bus transportation for over 60 kids each day after school to attend the Club
- Free snacks and meals for over 90 kids each day after school for the entire school year
- Program supplies for art, education, athletic, and recreation programs for an entire year
Stop by the teddy bear suite or simply click here to donate online, to help keep hundreds of Island children safe and happy after school.
Don’t forget to share your Martha’s Vineyard Teddy Bear Suite pics and when on Instagram and Facebook please use #mvteddybearsuite.
Thanks for reading the On Point Blog. You can learn more about the Martha’s Vineyard Teddy Bear Suite and the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club on Facebook, including more about special holiday events. You can also discover the latest happenings on MVTeddybearsuite.com.