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WHEELING – With proceeds from the 40th-annual Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic this Memorial Day Weekend, the Wheeling YMCA will be able to send more children to its summer day camp, according to executive director Adam Shinsky.
The YMCA, located on Lounez Avenue in Elm Grove, has been a staple in the community since 1859 – four years before West Virginia has been a state. It has more than 3,800 members and offers more than 100 different programs – including summer camps, child care, swimming lessons and youth sports.
As its programs have grown, however, so has the number of families unable to pay for them. The Wheeling YMCA issued more than 500 scholarships for memberships and various programs last year.
“We always have requests for financial assistance, so this will be huge for us,” Shinsky said of receiving the donation from the Ogden race, which is set for May 28 in Wheeling.
Shinsky added the YMCA serves community members “from 6 months to 95 years old.”
“We don’t turn anybody away,” he said.
2016 marks the seventh year proceeds from the Ogden Race have gone to a local charitable cause, and Race Director R. “Scat” Scatterday said that would not be possible without the generosity of the event’s sponsors.
“The simple fact is the sponsors make the difference,” he said. “Very unselfishly, they make the difference.”
Jamie Bordas is both president of the Wheeling YMCA’s board and a partner in the Bordas & Bordas law firm, one of the race’s major sponsors.
“The proceeds go to a good cause on an annual basis, so that makes it a great fit for our law firm,” Bordas said.
Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration owner Robert Contraguerro Sr. said his company places high importance on community involvement, and has taken notice of the Ogden race’s commitment to benefiting the area’s youth.
“That’s what we do every year – look at what we can do to help the kids in this valley,” Contraguerro said.
George Frazier, manager of Ohio Valley Medical Center’s Centre Town Fitness, has been involved with the race both as a participant and sponsor, and he said Centre Town is proud to provide a place for runners and walkers to shower both before and after the race.
“It represents the opportunity to work on a healthy lifestyle, and I’m big on that,” Frazier added of the race.
In addition to Bordas & Bordas, Panhandle and OVMC, top sponsors for the race this year include the city of Wheeling, the Ohio County Commission, United Bank and Project BEST.
The Half Marathon Walk begins at 7:30 a.m. May 28, followed by the Half Marathon Run and Run Relay at 8 a.m., at 14th and Main streets. The 5K Run and Walk steps off at 8:15 a.m.
The non-competitive, mile-long Fun Run begins at 8:20 a.m. and features a new course this year that begins and ends at the Half Marathon start/finish line instead of traversing Wheeling Hill.
The Tiny Tot Trot for children ages 5 and under, sponsored by Ohio Valley Parent, begins at 9 a.m. on Water Street, and will cover 100 yards. There is no entry fee for this event.
Online registration is available at ogdenhalfmarathonclassic.com.