PRESS KIT: Story Ideas for Media re: 2013 TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race

Story Ideas for Media

updated July 29 - changes to adaptive sports camp and elite athletes

Topics:

Race Beneficiary Changes Lives   Host Families Welcome World   Sports Medicine Symposium   10-Year-Old National Anthem Singer   Race Expo Expands   Adaptive Athlete Sports Camp   Bike Parking Added to Greening Efforts   TD Bank: Leading by Example   Legendary Runner: Joan Benoit Samuelson   Elite Field Includes American Heavyweights   Showcase Event for Maine Runners   Prominent Fitness Food Bloggers Joins Race   Volunteer Effort   Dave McGillivray: Race Director Extraordinaire   Kids Fun Run on Friday Night   Past Beneficiaries Enjoy Gift that Keeps Giving   Town of Cape Elizabeth Rises to Occasion

 

Race Beneficiary – The Opportunity Alliance

This year’s beneficiary of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K is The Opportunity Alliance (TOA), a Portland, Maine-based nonprofit organization providing community-based and clinical programs to children and families throughout Maine.

The Opportunity Alliance (www.opportunityalliance.org) is the Community Action Agency for Cumberland County and annually works with more than 20,000 Maine children, youth, adults, and seniors – individuals, families, and communities. Its services and supports address many of the state’s most pressing needs, including mental illness and substance abuse treatment, homelessness prevention, early childhood education and child care, heating assistance, community building, and advocacy. In 2011, PROP (People’s Regional Opportunity Program) and Youth Alternatives Ingraham unified their missions to form The Opportunity Alliance. The new merged agency continually seeks ways of integrating its many programs with community partners and neighborhood resources to create a collective impact on building stronger communities throughout the state.

Here are a few TOA employees, volunteers and clients from throughout Southern Maine who might make good human-interest stories. (See contact info at end of descriptions.)

774-HELP Crisis Call Specialist Matt Freedman

Matthew Freedman of Falmouth, a Crisis Call Specialist, is not a runner but says he is following the advice that he gives clients in his training for his very first road race on Aug. 3. “Why do I run?  I chuckle when I ask myself that question because the truth is I don't. Sure, over the years I've thought I'm going to pick up the sport as a great means of exercise, but then I'll run a half mile and remember why I don't. Yet, there is something that draws me to the challenge of running a 10K. It is the same challenge that pushed me through law school. That something isn't a giant mystery. I've never run a 5K or a 10K. Yet at the end of this year’s TD Beach to Beacon, I can cross the finish line and say “I did it!” The work our clients do and the progress they make ultimately comes from the steps they take. As employees, we are here to guide and advise, but only the client can get themselves to the finish line. Quite often with clients I use a metaphor I learned from Dan Geiser, who also works at TOA. The story tells of a person driving from Maine to California at night with only headlights to guide them 200 feet at a time. The person can't see beyond those 200 feet. Everything beyond is darkness and unknown. Eventually, however, that person will get to California – 200 feet at a time. With every forward step comes a degree of success. Put enough of those successful steps in place and our clients can turn back around, see where they were and where they are in the moment, and say “I did it.” “

Karen Bean of Portland, Client Care Coordinator in TOA’s Behavioral Health Clinic

In her own words, Karen Bean, who grew up in Topsham, responded to the question: Why do you run? “I never know how to answer the question, ‘why do you run?’ The reason changes. Sometimes I run because I want to be healthy, sometimes I run because after a stressful day it’s a great release, sometimes I run because I want to clear my head and sometimes I run because I just want to fly. I am by no means fast and there are definitely runs that are harder than others, but it’s impossible to not feel awesome after a run. I got out there, I put one foot in front of the other and did it. Those are the little victories that lead to greater accomplishments and are what keeps me going back again and again.”

Bean compared running to the challenges faced by TOA’s clients. “It’s not much different from the work TOA does when you think about it. We support people in taking those baby steps. We are there on days that putting one foot in front of the other feels overwhelming and challenging for our clients. We cheer them on and hold hope for them when clouds get in their eyes. We understand the hardship and obstacles life throws out, we empathize with how difficult it is to get over them but we know with the right foundation of tools it can be done.”

Bean ran the TD Beach to Beacon for the first time last year. “It was a great experience and hot! When I read that TOA is the beneficiary this year, I was moved more than ever to run again. What better way to model for our clients the courage to persevere over hills, beat the blaring sun and push through to the finish line. All it takes is baby steps. One foot in front of another.”

Carl Boucher, Peer and Family Navigator, Models Successful Recovery

In 2009, Carl Boucher found himself in an Augusta jail cell. Homeless, an alcoholic, suicidal, he knew he had reached bottom and that if he didn’t turn his life around he would die. But he didn’t know where to turn. Then, a case worker told him about Morrison Place, a residential program of The Opportunity Alliance that offers intensive treatment to homeless adults with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse issues. Carl wrote a letter to TOA and received a reply that when he got out of jail he should come for a visit. On the day of his release, he went directly to Morrison Place and entered the program.

Carl’s journey to long-term recovery wasn’t easy but the Morrison Place clinical staff patiently shepherded him through the many obstacles and distractions that would be put in his path to help him focus on his goal of sobriety and independent living. Finally, after nearly two years and a few false starts, he graduated from the program and found housing at Shalom House in Portland where his recovery continued.

Today, Carl is employed by TOA as a Peer & Family Navigator, helping others to become and stay engaged in the recovery process. TOA is a leader in offering peer-to-peer support for individuals seeking help in recovery (Peer & Family Navigators) and families attempting to navigate the state’s child protective system to successfully reunify with their children (Parents as Partners).  Peer & Family Navigators are consumers of mental health/substance use services who are currently in recovery. They are an integral part of The Opportunity Alliance’s Mobile Outreach team providing short term supports to encourage homeless people to seek or help them along with their recovery.  Carl is responsible for outreach to homeless men and women in Portland. His job is to search places in the city where homeless people are known to congregate, to check in with them, make sure they’re okay, provide lunch, water, socks (always badly needed by homeless individuals), or to see if there is any service or support they might need.

Foster Grandparents Making a Difference in Maine Classrooms

The Opportunity Alliance’s Foster Grandparent Program offers diverse and meaningful volunteer opportunities for men and women over 55 years of age, living below 200 percent of poverty and interested in activities addressing critical community needs throughout Southern Maine. Foster Grandparents are matched with children with special and/or exceptional needs supporting school readiness in child development centers, academic success with K-12 students and in homes reducing isolation and stress for families with children with special needs.

Each Foster Grandparent volunteers 15-40 hours a week keeping a consistent schedule that fosters a strong and mutually beneficial mentoring relationship between Volunteer and child. Last year, 152 Foster Grandparents volunteered 116,900 hours supporting over 1,300 children in 49 schools and child development centers.

Foster Grandparents Robert Stewart, who volunteers at Longfellow School, and Tom Rubino, who volunteers at Hall School, are willing to talk to the media about their experience as volunteers in Portland. Both live in Portland and are exceptional examples of good people working with children.

Portland Firefighters to Run TD Beach to Beacon in Support of The Opportunity Alliance

Firefighters from Portland’s Local 740 are once again supporting The Opportunity Alliance’s mission and vision of strengthening Maine’s communities, this time by running in the TD Beach to Beacon 10K on Aug. 3. The firefighters will be wearing The Opportunity Alliance t-shirts as they run the race.

This is a continuation of a robust community partnership between The Opportunity Alliance and Portland Firefighters Local 740 that began this past winter as the firefighters donated to The Opportunity Alliance’s Keep ME Warm Fund.  "Keep ME Warm" provides heating assistance to income eligible households in Cumberland County to pay for a portion of their annual heating expenses. "It’s always an honor as Firefighters and EMT's to support local organizations that give so much to the community that we live, work and play in,” said Philip Larou, Vice President for the Portland Firefighters Local 740.

Media Contact: To reach any of these people, contact Jim Gemmell, Director of Communications, The Opportunity Alliance, by e-mail or phone: jim.gemmell@opportunityalliance.org 207-523-5014

 

Host Families Welcome World-class Athletes to Cape Elizabeth

Each year, families from Cape Elizabeth and surrounding areas open their homes and their arms to the top runners of the world. Elite athletes arriving from Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, Romania, Russia, Morocco and elsewhere around the globe stay with families in Maine. The race’s home stay program is one of the most popular and talked about in the community of world-class athletes. It’s a major reason why some athletes want to return year after year.

We can help arrange interviews with families or help media do a story on the program itself, which serves as a cultural exchange for the athletes and the host families as they swap recipes, customs and stories. More and more local families from the area get involved each year; however, there are some families who have participated for many years now. And those bonds between athlete and family are growing stronger and more connected.  We can supply names of families and their runners.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kathy Tarpo, Host Family Coordinator, can also tell you which athlete is staying with what family as well as when they come into town. Contact Kathy at kmtarpo@gmail.com,or Larry Barthlow, the elite athlete coordinator, can assist in reaching runners, larry@worldeventsnetwork.com.

 

Sports Medicine Symposium Appeals to All

The highly-skilled medical team for the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race is conducting a Sports Medicine Symposium on Thursday, Aug. 1, aimed at medical personnel as well as runners and anyone interested in fitness. The free symposium, which will take place at the Dana Center Auditorium at Maine Medical Center from 5 to 8 p.m., features expert speakers covering a range of topics, including:

• “Nutrition & Healing – What to know about gluten-free, dairy-free and eating to maximize healing”
• “When your running identity is taken away due to injury, who are you?”
• “From seeing patients to being a patient – a journey to healing”
• “The TD Beach to Beacon Medical Tent – what to expect”

The event is free and open to medical volunteers as well as runners. To reserve a spot, or to do a story, contact Chris Troyanos:  troyanos@comcast.net.  

 

National Anthem Singer a 10-year-old from Wales, Maine

This year’s National Anthem singer is 10-year-old Kirstin Hahn from Wales, Maine. Kirstin has been in several talent shows and most recently came in 3rd at the Maine Games Vocal competition put on by the Kora Shrine.  In addition, she has sung at a Portland Pirates playoff game and at the Special Olympics. Kirsten will be entering 6^th grade at Oak Hill Middle School in Sabattus this fall.Here is a video of her in a recent audition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZTXU7Xlsb0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

For more information or to interview Kirstin, contact her mother, Amanda Hahn, at 754-9446 or at either of these emails: Amanda.hahn@waters.nestle.com or Amanda.hahn30@yahoo.com.

 

Top-notch Expo Expands for 2013

Like almost all aspects of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, the race’s Expo rates right up there for variety and the sheer number of vendors. There is something for everybody.

This year, 50 vendors, including various retailers, non-profits and race sponsors, will set up booths to offer helpful information, merchandise and giveaways. The exhibitors are:  National Running Center, Tri-Sack, Maine Running Company, Seashades,,  Scarborough Family Chiropractic, Tracs, Inc/The Competitor Group, Bondi Band, Coastal Wellness Family Chiropractic, Chica Bands, Handy Spandy, Cape Elizabeth Cross Country Team, Maine Track Club, Donna’s Marathon, Cancer Community Center, Cape Business Alliance, Moose Pond Half Marathon, Center for Grieving Children, The Opportunity Alliance  (the 2013 race beneficiary), Oculus Eyewear, The Match Foundation (Maine Leukemia Foundation), Hannaford, Cabot Cheese, Nike, Poland Spring,  Athletes for a Fit Planet, Coldwell Banker, 505 Jewelry/My 3 Sports, Mainely Local, Running 4 Free, Silver Stones Metalworks, USATF, Boston 13.1, Tribe Hummus, Moving ME Forward, VA Administration, Black Bear Medical and TD Bank.

The hours for the Expo run concurrently with race registration, from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 1 and from 2:30 to  8 p.m. on Friday, August 2. With the flurry of activity and interesting exhibits and giveaways, the Expo and registration are an ideal pre-race photo op.

MEDIA CONTACT:  The coordinator of the Expo is Marji Adams, who can be reached at marji.a.adams@gmail.com or by calling (207) 671-4522.

 

Maine Adaptive Launches Pilot Program for Adaptive Seated Athletes

The field of wheelchair and adaptive athletes this year will be as large as it has ever been this year due, in part, to a pilot program hosted by Maine Adaptive.

In the week between the TD Beach to Beacon and the New Balance Falmouth Road Race in Cape Cod, Maine Adaptive is hosting a week-long multi-sport camp geared specifically towards seated athletes. The camp will be based at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester and will feature adaptive golf, paddling, cycling, tennis and other activities at various locations.  In addition to high achieving athletes from the Maine Adaptive community, the event will host a handful of elite wheelchair racers from around the country who are in the area to take part in both road races, including Craig Blanchette, one of the top all-time wheelchair racers who has won the TD Beach to Beacon twice; Krige Schabort, a Paralympic athlete from South Africa competing in the TD Beach to Beacon for the first time; and Jill Moore, a world-class wheelchair athlete who is attending the camp but not entered in the TD Beach to Beacon.

MEDIA CONTACT: To do a story on these athletes or the camp, contact Eric Topper, Director of Outreach at Maine Adaptive, (207) 415 9108, etopper@maineadaptive.org.

 

Greening the 2013 TD Beach to Beacon 10K

Thanks to its green corporate sponsor, Fairchild Semiconductor, and green consulting partner, Athletes for a Fit Planet, the TD Beach to Beacon 10K has a long history of commitment to the environment.

Last year, the race earned Silver certification to the Council for Responsible Sports’ “ReSport” standard – a significant achievement. The standard covers environmental sustainability issues, such as waste diversion and the event’s carbon and water footprint, as well as social and economic sustainability issues, such as community involvement, support for non-profits and the inclusion of underserved communities. The plan is to apply for re-certification in 2014 and aim for Gold-level certification.

For 2013, the TD Beach to Beacon is continuing all the 2012 sustainability practices plus adding a couple of new ones, including a free, secure bike corral for runners at the start to help relieve traffic congestion. Below are just a few of the key eco-initiatives the race is implementing this year. For more information visit the green page on the race website at www.beach2beacon.org/green.

Waste Diversion. For the past few years, the TD Beach to Beacon 10K has had a comprehensive program of recycling and composting in place. This includes the parties, the Kid’s Race and the 10K. For the past few years, the race has achieved an overall waste diversion rate of close to 70 percent. This goal for 2013 is 75 percent. There will be “Green Team” volunteers on site at the race who will oversee the collection of the waste.

Free Bicycle Parking for Runners at the Start. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is providing free and secure bicycle parking at the start of the race, which will help cut down on road congestion and lighten the CO2 footprint. The bike service will be located on Route 77 (Bowery Beach Road) just east of the start line and will be open from 6 a.m. to about 2 p.m. For more information, email info@afitplanet.com.

Social Sustainability. This year, the TD Beach to Beacon 10K is working with The Opportunity Alliance (TOA) to encourage participation among the families served by TOA, including 30 free registrations for the Kid’s Race on August 2.

Here are some of the other activities taking place:

• Give worn-out shoes a brand-new life. Instead of throwing old sneakers out, participants are encouraged to toss them into the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe bins at the Expo and at Nike’s booth at the finish. They are then recycled to be used in new places to play and train - like tracks, field, courts and playgrounds. Athletic shoes only, any brand OK, no damp or muddy shoes, no metal, cleats or dress shoes, no sandals or flip-flops. Visit www.nikereuseashoe.com  for more info.
• Rideshare to the race. Every mile driven produces about a pound of CO2. To help reduce the race’s carbon footprint, runners, family and spectators are encouraged to share a ride to the Expo and the race.
• Eco-friendly portable toilets. They use only recycled paper and non-toxic chemicals.
• Satellite parking. Race organizers are providing transportation to and from the race from satellite parking lots at the Hannaford corporate headquarters in Scarborough and SMTC in South Portland as well as from the Cape Elizabeth High School and Middle School lots.
• Non-toxic paint. Brite Stripe Ultra-Friendly, the turf industry’s only VOC-free paint and the only one to receive EPA approval, is used for the Start and Finish lines.
• Paperless registration. Runners register online only, and the majority of the race’s communications to runners are conducted via e-mail and through its website.

For more information about eco-initiatives, visit the Green Page at www.beach2beacon.org/green

“Running is a pure sport – runners are in tune with environmental changes by the nature of their daily runs and running experiences,” said Joan Benoit Samuelson, the race founder and running legend. “It only makes sense for a race that receives great acclaim and visibility to do its part to reduce the runners’ footprints throughout the event - from before they start the race until well after they cross the finish line.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Contact Bruce Rayner, Chief Green Officer at Athletes for a Fit Planet – (508) 380-0868 bruce@afitplanet.com. Athletes for a Fit Planet is a leading provider of eco-services for athletic events in the U.S. and Canada. The company advises event organizers on cost-effective strategies, and products and services for reducing, recycling and composting waste, reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, and minimizing the impact of the event on the local environment. Also available is Karl Moulton at Fairchild Semiconductor, karl.moulton@fairchildsemi.com (800) 341-0392.

 

TD Bank Lead Sponsor of Race

Without the help of a lead sponsor like TD Bank, it would be difficult to put on a world class event. TD Bank former president and CEO Bill Ryan met with Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson 16 years ago to create this premier running event in her home state, beginning in 1998.

Larry Wold, President of TD Bank in Maine, will be among the 131 returning legacy or “streak runners” to run the race for the 16th time this year. Wold, 54, a Freeport, Maine resident, is an active member of the community and is involved in a number of fundraising events and causes. He joined the company in 1991. If interested in a story about someone who is a leader at TD Bank AND has run the race all 15 years, Wold would make a great feature story. Plus, he’s no slouch as a runner. His 2012 time of 45:34 placed him among the top 12 percent of all runners overall! (We can also arrange for a photo or interview while he does his practice runs at lunch around Back Bay, sometimes with Joanie).

Here’s another TD Bank-related story idea:

TD Bank is making great strides in becoming an organization that is as green as its logo. In 2010, TD Bank became the largest U.S.-based bank to be carbon neutral by opening energy-efficient buildings, lowering its energy consumption, and offsetting 100 percent of the electricity it uses by purchasing enough renewable energy from sources like wind, solar and low-impact hydro power.

In 2012, TD took its environmental initiative to the next level through its TD Forests program, which is a North American initiative of TD Bank and its parent company, TD Bank Group (TD). As part of the initiative, TD made a commitment to reduce its paper usage in the U.S. and Canada by 20 percent by 2015. In addition, TD Forests works to increase the area of protected forest habitat equivalent to the amount of paper the Bank uses – that’s roughly two football fields of forest each and every day.

Some of TD’s past environmental accomplishments include:

• On May 13, 2011, opened the first net-zero energy bank location in the U.S. in Fort Lauderdale – an energy-efficient and LEED Platinum-certified building with 400 solar panels that produce 100 percent of the building's annual energy needs
• Opened more than 65 LEED-designed stores and corporate offices of which 33 have achieved LEED certification
• Opened a 60,000-square-foot contact center in Auburn, Maine, that has achieved the highest level of LEED-CI certification – LEED-CI Platinum, the first building in Maine to be LEED-CI Platinum certified
• Purchased enough renewable energy credits to offset 100 percent of the bank's electricity needs from Maine to Florida
• Purchased a block of wind energy to power all of its ATMs from Maine to Florida

The bank’s green initiatives are a good fit with the greening of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K.

MEDIA CONTACT: FMI, contact Eric Springer 856-470-3898 eric.springer@td.com or Rebecca Acevedo, 856-470-3201. Rebecca.acevedo@yesbank.com or visit the race web site at www.beach2beacon.org or the bank’s site at www.tdbank.com

 

Joan Benoit Samuelson

TD Beach to Beacon founder Joan Benoit Samuelson, 56, is a running icon who remains Maine’s most admired athlete. She is an inspiration and a role model for girls and women around the globe. Her quiet determination, on display for the entire world to see during her marathon victory at the 1984 Olympics, played a key role in making her dream of staging a major road race in Cape Elizabeth a reality.

Joan works tirelessly on the race that she started as evidenced by her race-day activities, which includes presiding at the start, personally greeting hundreds and hundreds of runners at the finish, posing for pictures and welcoming dignitaries, and quite often helping with the post-race cleanup.

She also continues to inspire on race courses around the country by competing at a high level still, setting numerous age-group records along the way, including the Quad City Times Bix 7 Road Race on July 27, where she won the master's title. In April, Joan achieved her goal of finishing the B.A.A. Boston Marathon within 30 minutes of her epic winning time 30 years ago (2:22:43). The two-time champ finished in 2:50:37. But Joan’s legacy goes well beyond her records. She is a strong advocate for the environment, children and healthy choices.

MEDIA CONTACT: Wolfe PR has organized a “Media Morning at the Fort with Joanie” from 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, July 31, where media can schedule one-on-one, 15-minute interviews  with Joanie. Contact Beryl Wolfe at beryl@wolfenews.com (520) 399-5770 to schedule a time. 

 

Top Americans Take on World Elite

The TD Beach to Beach 10K Road Race continues to attract some of the top road racers from around the globe. This year will be no exception, but the field will also include perhaps the strongest – and most decorated - group of Americans in the history of the race.

The American contingent is headlined by a trio of Olympians - Deena Kastor, who won bronze in 2004 and holds the American marathon record; Meb Keflezighi, who won silver in 2004 and finished 4^th last summer in London; and Ryan Hall, a two-time Olympian who holds the American record in the half marathon. Hall will be making his TD Beach to Beacon debut while Kastor is returning to Cape Elizabeth after an illness the day before the 2011 race forced her to withdraw. Meb will be looking to improve on a fourth-place finish (27:58) at the 2007 TD Beach to Beacon, the highest-ever finish for an American.

They will join a stellar field of world-class athletes, including defending champ Stanley Biwott, Olympic bronze medalist Micah Kogo, who won the 2011 race, and Emmanuel Mutai, who set a course record (2:04:40) in winning the 2011 London Marathon. The women’s field is led by Lineth Chepkurui, who set a course record (30:59) to win in 2010, Aheza Kiros, the 2011 TD Beach to Beacon champ, Joyce Chepkurui, an African Cross Country champ who has recorded a 30:38 10K time, Linet Masai, a 2008 Olympian from Kenya who won the 10,000m at the 2009 World Championships; and Sule Utura of Ethiopia, who used her track speed and long strides in the final stretch to win the Quad City Times Bix 7 on July 27. Elite Athlete Coordinator Larry Barthlow is continuing to finalize the field of elite athletes and more information will be added soon.

MEDIA CONTACT: FMI on the elite field, contact Larry Barthlow, the elite athlete director, at larry@worldeventsnetwork.com.

 

TD Beach to Beacon Showcase Event for Maine Runners

The elite distance runners from around the world who come to Cape Elizabeth get much of the attention, but the growth and competitiveness of the race among Maine's top runners is also a worthwhile story. One thing has become clear over the years, Maine produces a number of runners who can compete on the national stage, and many have showcased their talents by winning the TD Beach to Beacon 10K to earn the title as the state road race champion.

Observers say this year may be the year for Rob Gomez of Saco to break through. He has dominated the roads in Maine so far in 2013 and was the fastest Mainer at the B.A.A. Boston Marathon (2:22:53). His win at the recent L.L. Bean 10K makes clear he’s in top form. Riley Masters of Bangor just finished his senior year at Oklahoma, where he holds the school record at 1,500 meters, and appears determined to make a run at the 10K crown. Johnny Wilson of Falmouth is returning from injury, but a win over the weekend at the Pat's Pizza Clam Festival Classic 5 Mile (25:11) means he is ready to try to improve on close second-place finishes the past two years. Also, Will Geoghegan of Brunswick (Dartmouth) and Matt Rand of Cape Elizabeth (Tufts), second at the Clam Festival, are recent grads who could threaten.

On the women’s side, the top three finishers from last year are again expected to battle it out. This might just be the year that Erica Jesseman, 24, of Scarborough, with two runner up and a third-place finish the past three years, finally claims the crown. She has been dominant this year, including a win at the Pat's Pizza Clam Festival Classic 5 Mile (27:49) last weekend as she finished within 10 seconds of the course record held by Sheri Piers, 42, of Falmouth, the defending TD Beach to Beacon champ. Piers, who finished second in Yarmouth, has three TD Beach to Beacon titles and won't go down without a fight. Abby Leonardi, 19, of Kennebunkport is a wild card due to her training schedule at Oregon. If she competes, she will be in the mix.

MEDIA CONTACT: Race President David Weatherbie, dweatherbie@seafax.com, (207) 771-4208, himself a  top-flight runner (37:01, 13^th in 40-44 age group at 2011 BtoB), can provide valuable insights into the stature of the race among Maine runners, and can help locate top runners for interviews.

Group of Prominent Fitness Food Bloggers Join Cabot Fit Team for Race

This August, 10 members of Cabot Creamery Cooperative’s first-ever Cabot Fit Team will assemble in Cape Elizabeth for the TD Beach to Beacon. The team, comprised of two Cabot family farmers and eight food and fitness bloggers, was created to increase awareness about the importance of wellness though nutrition and exercise. 

Representing Cabot’s farm family owners will be Rebecca Ridley Harris and Leah Ridley of Ridley Farm in Shapleigh, Maine. The sisters, who frequently run together, are looking forward to meeting new runners during their first TD Beach to Beacon.

Rounding out the Cabot Fit Team will be eight prominent fitness and food bloggers who extol the virtues of eating healthy and exercising on their websites. The runners include Katie Webster of HealthySeasonalRecipes.com, Carrie Burrill of BakeAholicMama.com, Monica Olivas of RunEatRepeat.com, Carolyn Ketchum of AllDayIDreamAboutFood.com, Kristina LaRue of LoveAndZest.com, Gina Matsoukas of RunningToTheKitchen.com, Robin Runner of KneadtoCook.com, and Anne Mauney of fANNEtasticfood.com. The bloggers, who will descend on Cape Elizabeth from all areas of the country, are ready to bring their unique personalities and food and fitness expertise to the team.

MEDIA CONTACT: FMI, contact Candace Karu 207-767-0004 cpkaru@mac.com.

 

Volunteer Effort

The volunteer effort at the TD Beach to Beacon 10K is huge and is often taken for granted. It shouldn’t be. Coordinating more than 800 volunteers is a monumental task that requires patience, perseverance and a certain amount of guile. Volunteer Director Maya Cohen and her right hand, Angela Best, both of Cape Elizabeth, developed and each year execute a program that involves coordinators that oversee volunteers in more than a dozen different areas, from the Kids Fun Run and the Medical Tent to water stations, parking, security, course set up and breakdown, and directing traffic.

MEDIA CONTACT: FMI, contact Maya Cohen at (207) 838-8816 or mmcohen@maine.rr.com.

 

David McGillivray, Race Director Extraordinaire

Joan Benoit Samuelson will tell anyone who will listen that the key to the success of the TD Beach to Beacon was getting Dave McGillivray on board to direct the event. McGillivray is considered one of the top race directors in the world. And the proof is nowhere more evident than at the TD Beach to Beacon, where participants consistently marvel at how well run and organized the race is in comparison to other events.

McGillivray and his DMSE team make it look easy, but there are endless steps, countless details and innumerous obstacles in making the TD Beach to Beacon happen. In addition to the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, DMSE directs the New Balance Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod and 30 other major race events throughout the U.S. and overseas.

McGillivray’s athletic background is also extensive, as well as his work as a motivational speaker, author, and commitment to children’s fitness and charitable organizations. In 1978, McGillivray ran across the U.S. for charity and since DMSE was founded in 1981, McGillivray and DMSE events have raised more than $50 million for charity.

A feature on McGillivray or the DMSE effort during the week of the race could be a compelling story with strong visuals as the Route 77 start, race course and Fort Williams are transformed into a major international running event. Steps include the Start Line Painting the Sunday before the race, tent and fencing set up at the finish area next to the Portland Head lighthouse to signage along the course, plus press trucks, the Medical Tent, awards area, etc., not to mention the quick breakdown at the conclusion of the race.  

Media contact: Beryl Wolfe, beryl@wolfenews.com or Dave McGillivray, DMSE Sports, dmse@dmsesports.com.

 

Kids Fun Run on Friday Night Before the Race

The Kids Fun Run will again complement the TD Beach to Beacon the evening before the race. Open to children 12 and under, with different distances for different age groups, the event will be held in Fort Williams Park at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2. The races will be run in heats according to age. Refreshments and finishing prizes will be handed out after the races.

Media contact: Race President David Weatherbie – dweatherbie@seafax.com – or (207) 773-3533 ext 4016.

 

Past Race Beneficiaries – A Gift that Keeps On Giving

Getting named the beneficiary of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K is a great help to Maine’s non-profit community – and it doesn’t end on race day. Each beneficiary receives a $30,000 donation from the TD Charitable Foundation in addition to the publicity and prestige that goes with the title. But this is a gift that keeps on giving.

A story idea might include talking with some past beneficiaries about how the race did and continues to benefit their non-profit organizations. A list of past beneficiaries can be found at www.wolfenews.com in the press kit under the race logo.

A survey conducted last fall found that past and present race beneficiaries raised more than $300,000 over the previous two years (2011 & 2012) through their association with the race. All of the prior race beneficiaries are provided the opportunity to fundraise with 25 entries. The bibs are sometimes auctioned or awarded to individuals who reach a designated fundraising threshold on behalf of the specific organization.

For example, the 2012 beneficiary, the Center for Grieving Children, raised a total of $65,500 in 2012 - $35,500 over and above the $30,000 donation from the TD Charitable Foundation, and Day One, the 2011 race beneficiary, raised a total of $58,000 in 2011, including the TD Charitable Foundation donation.

The survey showed that although the biggest bump takes place in the year the organization is named the beneficiary, many of the past beneficiaries are able to continue generating significant funds.

Big Brothers Big Sisters, the race’s very first beneficiary in 1998, has raised more than $35,000 in total the past two years, for example. Several others have raised more than $20,000 in 2011 and 2012 combined, including Maine Handicapped Skiing (2009 beneficiary), Riding to the Top Therapeutic Riding Center (2004), Kids First Center (2001) and Camp Sunshine (1999). Find a full list of TD Beach to Beacon beneficiaries.

The race beneficiaries raised a total of $164,300 in 2012 and $146,750 in 2011, according to the survey results.

“It’s extremely gratifying to see the positive impact this race is having on these organizations, some for more than a decade after they were named the race beneficiary,” said volunteer Race President Dave Weatherbie of Cape Elizabeth. “This truly is a gift that keeps on giving as they are able to find ways to continue to raise money to help fund their programs that are so vital to the well being of Maine children and families.”

The TD Charitable Foundation, funded by TD Bank N.A., provided $60,000 of that total, and with the 2013 donation has now donated $480,000 to Maine charities over the 16-year history of the TD Beach to Beacon.

MEDIA CONTACTS:  Matt Hoidal, Camp Sunshine mhoidal@campsunshine.org (207) 655-3800; Elyse Tipton, Maine Center for Greiving Children, elyse@cgcmaine.org, (207) 775-5216 ext. 103; Sam Beal, Big Brothers Big Sisters (207) 773-5437; Peg Libby, Kids First Center (207) 761-2709; Tory Dietel-Hopps, Riding to the Top (207) 892-2813, and Alan Cartwright, Susan L. Curtis Foundation, 207-774-1552; are ready and willing to talk about the race and its impact.

 

Town of Cape Elizabeth

The Town of Cape Elizabeth continues to come through for this event. Police, fire and municipal officials serve on the 60-plus-member Organizing Committee and are involved from the time they begin meeting in January to the day in early August when the field of 6,000 runners and thousands of spectators line the streets of this coastal town.

MEDIA CONTACT: For more information about the town’s involvement, call Town Manager Mike McGovern at Cape Elizabeth Town Hall at 207-767-3323.

NOTE TO REPORTERS/EDITORS: For more information or assistance with any of the above items that do not contain contact info, please contact Beryl or Jason Wolfe at Wolfe PR – (520) 399-5770 or 5097, or by e-mail, beryl@wolfenews.com, jason@wolfenews.com. Also, bios, a Fact Sheet, past results, statistics, news releases and other race materials are available at www.wolfenews.com and on the race website. Thanks!

Here is more information about the TD Beach to Beacon 10K