The Friends of the New Orleans Public Library are putting down their books and picking up their running shoes to raise funds in the Crescent City Classic 10k Road Race, on Saturday, April 19.
The nonprofit is currently seeking runners and walkers to help them support the New Orleans Public Library’s mission to transform lives, enrich neighborhoods, and preserve history. With Executive Director Shannan Cvitanovic at the organization’s helm, this year is the first time the Friends will participate as an official “Run for It” charity organization.
Official Charity Partners recruit and form teams of runners, joggers and walkers who commit to raising a minimum of $200 for their charity by race day. Cvitanovic hopes that Library lovers of all ages and abilities will put their best foot forward to help them achieve their fundraising goal of $10,000. As she puts it, “We’d all rather be reading, but OK!”
“New Orleanians love the Library, and we thought that this would be a great way to gather Library supporters together for a fun day out,” Cvitanovic said. “We’re looking forward to hitting the street and showing just how many people support the library and its programs. Some of us are slow, some are fast, but we all agree on the value of strong public libraries.”
Since 1957, the Friends have helped fund Library services, programs, and resources — like the beloved Summer Fun & Reading Challenge. All proceeds from the Crescent City Classic will benefit this work, which City Librarian and Executive Director Emily Painton called “hugely impactful.”
“The Friends do so much for the Library every day, year-round, and we are endlessly grateful for their hard work and advocacy,” Painton said. “From funding our youth public transit passes to providing materials for programming, and even helping our staff get a leg up in their careers, the Friends are so incredibly important to our success. We are lucky to be their benefactor, and we’re excited to cheer them on from the sidelines of this fabulous event.”
The event begins at the Superdome at 8 a.m. and ends with a post-race party at City Park. Registration is open now at $45 per runner, which will increase to $50 on April 17. The last day to sign up is April 18. All participants who raise more than $300 for their charity will receive a full refund of their registration.
Other perks include a limited-edition Friends of the New Orleans Public Library t-shirt and Crescent City Classic baseball cap, and entry into Charity Village at the Michelob Ultra RaceFest. Visit ccc10k.com/run-for-it for details and registration.
About Friends of the New Orleans Public Library:
Friends of New Orleans Public Library works to ensure that New Orleans has an exceptional public library system that meets the diverse needs of the people it serves. FNOPL fills the gaps where city funding ends, funding early literacy programs, youth and teen activities, and more, while supporting the library staff to operate at their highest capacity in meeting the needs of their patrons.
About Crescent City Classic:
The LCMC Health Crescent City Classic 10k road race is held every year the Saturday before Easter Sunday. The Classic is locally produced and is a great way to get in shape while having fun. The 10-kilometer course (6.2 miles) begins in Downtown News Orleans in front of the Caesars Superdome, runs through the historic French Quarter, and then all the way up tree-lined Esplanade Avenue to City Park where a huge concert festival is held immediately following the event for all the runners and walkers. The CCC is preceded by a large two-day Health & Fitness Expo, which is free and open to the public the Thursday and Friday prior to the Race.
About the Run For It Program:
The “Run for It!” program is the charity aspect for the LCMC Health Crescent City Classic, the Gulf South’s oldest and largest road race. As part of the “Run for It!” program, the Crescent City Classic provides discounted charity race bibs/numbers and donates incentives to each participating nonprofit. The nonprofit partners then recruit and organize teams of runners and walkers who commit to raising a minimum of $200 for their charity by race day. Official charity runners receive various perks and incentives as part of the “Run for It!” program including a commemorative hat only available to charity runners, prime starting position in the charity corral, exclusive access into charity village at the Michelob Ultra Race Fest and a personal online fundraising page. To date, the “Run for It!” program has raised nearly $7 million for more than 35 local charities.
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