Many helped to make Metro 10 race in Albion a success
Editor:
With every event there are people behind the scenes that make it happen and the Metro 10 Race is no exception.
We are very fortunate to live in a community of forward-thinking government officials, civic-minded organizations and local businesses that seem to always be there to offer support.
The list of people and organizations from Orleans County to thank grew exponentially this year. It begins with the returning sponsors, including Oak Orchard Health, The Orleans Community Health Foundation, Bentley Brothers, The Town of Albion, 810 Meadworks and Watt Farms Country Market. (Again this year our visitors from Buffalo and Rochester loved that apple orchard).
This year we added Intergrow, Mark’s Pizzeria, Burris Cleaning RTS Orleans and Weed Man.
Our local government officials from the county town and village worked hours to make sure the event happened, and Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni and Code Officer Ron Vendetti went above and beyond the call of duty to avert a last-minute snag. Local law enforcement officials and the great people of COVA gave up their time to keep people safe.
Our water stops were covered by a local business, local girl scout troops, day care centers, and a local cross country team. We are already talking with an organization that has expressed interest in funding a larger prize pool for these great organizations that provided washcloths, cookies, popsicles, signs, but most importantly they provided support and encouragement.
There are so many people it is almost impossible to name them all, but in the end thanks to a huge community effort and a strategic alliance with the good people of Rock the Park, we were able to significantly lower our operating expenses which resulted in a lowering of our entry fee and positioned us to support our charitable partner this year, The Warrior House of WNY.
Jim Salmon returned as our celebrity host and promoted the event on his radio show. We can think of no better host than Jim, a guy that has done so much for this community.
Perhaps the moment that puts this event in perspective occurred when the first runner crossed the finish line and was handed his medal by a U.S Military Veteran, who used a cane so he could stand long enough to give it to the runner. One runner commented that receiving a medal from an injured Veteran felt strange, but that is what makes these brave men and women so worthy of our fundraising efforts. They are always willing to serve their nation and its people, and we should honor and serve them every moment that we can.
In 2014 the Metro 10 was simply an idea mulled over after a run and then mentioned in passing to a local news reporter. In 2015 it became a reality and there was no guarantee the event would survive another year but organizations and individuals came in and filled the void quickly and by most measures the 2016 race was a huge success.
There is no question that we worked out some major kinks and finally have the foundation of an event that we can grow sensibly in Albion with the hope that someday it is a marquis event in Orleans County. Our all-volunteer 2016 committee faced a slew of personal tragedies and busy personal lives but in the end they all came together to make sure the event happened.
We will close with a simple thank you to all of you that have supported this event over the last two years. The feedback from participants from outside Orleans County has been stellar. Community events are made possible because of strong communities, we will never lose sight of that and we know that we have a strong community behind us as we begin to prepare for the 2017 event and beyond.
Sincerely,
Thom Jennings (race organizer) and the Metro 10 Development Team
