Going for a regular run is a great way to boost cardiovascular health and overall fitness, but for Nipomoans, one annual jog has done much more than that.
The South County Youth Coalition will hold its 20th annual Fun Run event on Oct. 7 this year, marking two solid decades of joining together to support enrichment programs in South San Luis Obispo County with a morning of activity. The event has been a draw for local families who enjoy the run while supporting a range of sports and other programs for local youth, explained Mary Squellati, the program supervisor for the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo, a partner organization in the coalition.
“It’s a fundraiser for youth scholarships, and the money can go toward any kind of enrichment activity,” Squellati said. “Typically, we pay a lot for registration for sports, but we also help kids go to the camps, like science camp, that the schools do.”
The idea for the fun run came from Joe Hubbell, currently a counselor at Nipomo High School, who thought the idea could support youth sports, music, art, and other enrichment activities for local students whose families needed help paying for supplemental programs.
Since then, the fun run has raised more money each year as engagement from local businesses and organizations that sponsor the event grows, Squellati explained.
“The majority of fundraising is the sponsors; we have very generous sponsors,” she said. “They may never come [to the event], but they are supporting us by their sponsorships, and every year we have someone new who has just heard about us and wants to donate some money to go to kids in South County.”
The sponsors often provide gift cards or other donations that are raffled off at the event. That’s a big draw for local families who hope to win something nice as well as go for a jog or walk with friends and family, Squellati said.
The annual Fun Run includes a 4-mile run along Pomeroy Road in Nipomo or a 2-mile walk for adults, and a half-mile run for kids ages 12 and younger. Those who register early can get a discount on fees, Squellati said. The runs and walks are noncompetitive.
“Every year has its own flavor depending on who shows up,” she said. “We encourage people to wear whatever they want—we’ve had kids show up in Halloween costumes; we’ve had people show up in pajamas. It’s just a fun, casual event.”
The Fun Run always proceeds Nipomo’s annual Octoberfest event, Squellati explained, so participants can join the fun early just after their run.
The South County Youth Coalition makes sure to bring healthy snacks, like strawberries, for participants to enjoy. Squellati also said that it’s a “low key” event where families often bring their dogs or smaller kids in strollers, to enjoy the physical activity too. It’s all part of the coalition’s mission to empower local families, she said.
“We believe in prevention, so all the work that we do is family strengthening and prevention,” she said. “Our youth coalition also puts on free parenting classes, and everything we try to put on is bilingual and bicultural.”
Squellati said that many families participate each year. Some local youth who participated early in life continued on to track or cross country in their academic athletics, she said, and local track and cross country teams show up to participate as well.
“We have seen some of the same kids year after year, and I hope that it’s something that encouraged them to join the team, to stay active, and to exercise,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun, it’s a healthy event, and I just love to see the kids get inspired and see how fun it is to get out and exercise and have a good time.”
Managing Editor Joe Payne can be reached at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 28 – Oct 5, 2017.