Manchester Road Race Announces $68,000 In Donations

MANCHESTER, CT — The Manchester Road Race Committee announced Monday that it will make donations totaling more than $68,000 from the proceeds of the 2022 Thanksgiving Day run.

Though the coronavirus pandemic and resulting decrease in race revenues limited the organization's charitable giving during the prior two years, the success of the 2022 event enabled the MRR to resume its "tradition of community support," race officials said. Organizations that combat food insecurity, rehabilitate local residences, and conduct research to eradicate crippling diseases, will be major beneficiaries of the 2022 road race committee's contributions.

Here they are at a glance:

• The Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities will receive funding for its community kitchen, emergency food pantry and community outreach and emergency services programs.
• Rebuilding Together of Manchester will also receive donations. Rebuilding Together of Manchester is a local agency dedicated to helping stabilize affordable homeownership.
• The Muscular Dystrophy Association will be getting a donation. Muscular Dystrophy research has been a charitable objective of road race sponsors since the early 1950s.
• MARC Inc, which assists individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities; Community Health Resources, which provides outpatient therapy for parents, children, and families; and the Manchester Police Activities League, an initiative by local police to offer opportunities and activities for positive interactions between youth and law enforcement, will each receive bequests.
• Other organizations receiving contributions from the road race include Manchester High School for the Greater Manchester Journal Inquirer Randy Smith Invitational Track Meet; Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS for its "Stop the Bleed" program; MRC Track & Field Series; and the Manchester High School Project Graduation event.
• Thanks to 86 runners who participated in the 2022 Manchester Road race Honors Club program, the Community Child Guidance Clinic of Manchester will receive the sum of $8,600. Each Thanksgiving, up to 125 competitors can pay $100.00 instead of the traditional entry fee, to run in the road race. All the money is donated by the race committee to a local charity. Last November, the Community Child Guidance Clinic, which offers area families a special education day school and a system of child and family-focused mental health services, was the designated charity of the race's Honors Club initiative.

"We are extremely pleased to make these contributions," said Dr. Tris Carta, the president of the Manchester Road Race Committee. "All of the organizations offer wonderful services and programs, and this is our way of giving back to a community that has always been so supportive of our Turkey Day Road race."

The 87th edition of the Manchester Road Race will be take place at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23, 2023). The event attracts some of the world's best distance competitors and is run on a 4.748-mile loop course through the town's central streets.

The race starts and finishes on Main Street, in front of St. James Church. More information is available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.