The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon was grateful to make an in-person return in May and now the impact of race weekend is being passed along to the community with the donation of event proceeds to local charity partners. The non-profit event is proud to award a total of $100,000 to its charity partners Greater Green Bay YMCA and New Community Shelter.
“There was an overwhelming sense of gratitude at this year’s Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. We were thrilled to be back together to promote wellness, boost local tourism and bring the community together. Today, we are grateful to further the impact of race weekend with this donation to local non-profits. Our partners invest the donations and improve our community with their programs. This collective effort embodies the spirit of Green Bay and we’re proud of the ongoing impact,” said Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health and board president of the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.
Since its inception in 2000, the event has donated more than $1.7 million to 24 local charity partners. This year’s donation includes a $10,000 matching gift from CoBank’s Sharing Success program. Title sponsor Cellcom nominated the event and its charity partners for the donation. Sharing Success relies on CoBank’s customers to identify organizations and programs that are making a difference in rural communities.
New Community Shelter helps the homeless and the hungry through its emergency shelter, transitional living program and community meal program. The organization believes in offering support services to access other community resources necessary for achieving self-sufficiency. Proceeds from the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon will be used for the Community Meal Program.
“The New Community Shelter is honored to have the opportunity to partner with the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. The partnership with the shelter has a huge impact in the lives of the people we help every day. It allows us to continue our mission to help and support individuals and families all year long. The funding we receive from this event will support our Community Meal Program, which provides meals every day to children and adults from our community who would otherwise go hungry. This year we are helping more people than ever before, which makes this donation so very important and appreciated. Being a charity partner is also great for shelter residents who desire and appreciate the opportunity to give back to the community that supports them and their temporary home,” said Terri Refsguard, CEO of New Community Shelter.
Greater Green Bay YMCA is dedicated to strengthening the spirit, mind and body of the community. More than a fitness center, the organization focuses on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Donations from the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon will be used for community wellness initiatives.
“We are grateful for the generosity of the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon in supporting our health specialty programs at the Greater Green Bay YMCA. This donation will allow us to elevate our work in the areas of community wellness. Specifically, these funds strengthen programs such as LIVESTRONG and Stay Strong at the YMCA for cancer survivors, Exercising with Parkinson’s, Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring and Walk with Ease for those with arthritis. These programs are vital to our goal of cultivating wellness in spirit, mind and body for all. Thank you to the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon board, volunteers and sponsors for their dedication to wellness for our community”, said Kathleen McKee, Vice President of Programs and Innovation at the Greater Green Bay YMCA.
The Mary Poppele Award, given to the top fundraiser, was also presented today. Recipient Katie Fichtenbauer raised $355 through the Run for a Reason program. The award is given in memory of Mary Poppele, an avid marathon fundraiser, who passed away in April 2004 while training for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.