Run Squamish is going online in its efforts to give back from its racing event proceeds.
The organization has launched its Give Back program, which can be accessed through its website.
“The Give Back program is the way that Run Squamish takes proceeds from its events and feeds them back into the community,” said Sean Verret, one of the Run Squamish organizers.
Run Squamish is raising money for the program from race proceeds, as well as donations. These proceeds then are given back in the form of grants and scholarships.
The website provides information about the program and eligibility requirements, as well as forms for people to apply for scholarships, which can be downloaded as a PDF.
“We put all the applications on the table at the same time and the board goes through them,” Verret said.
The scholarships and grants are geared towards those groups that have a trail or running focus. Youth groups, clubs, teams, charities or individuals are eligible. They must be residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor and have lived here for at least three years.
Other criteria include having taken part in a Run Squamish events in some capacity and demonstrating a need for financial support for an initiative that will better the community.
As the website states, an applicant could be “an athlete looking for assistance for their next adventure and goal or a key community establishment looking to expand.”
This is the first year for Run Squamish, and the program, Verret said, is the vehicle the non-profit organizations is using to put money back into the community.
The bursaries can range from $100 to $2,500, with up to five given out each year. The amount of the bursaries will also depend on how much is raised each year.
The deadline to apply is Jan. 31, and Verret is hopeful that Run Squamish will be able to “give back” shortly after that.
“The goal is to give it away in the early part of 2016,” he said.
Run Squamish will also be releasing information about its 2016 races in the near future. In 2015, three events were held. At present, organizers know that in 2016, they will be holding two signature events, the Loop the Lakes Trail Run and the Sea to Sky Scramble Trail Run, but they are not clear at this time whether they will hold two other events, the Headlamp Hustle Trail Run and the Shannon Basin Loop Trail Run.
For info see runsquamish.com.
