Meet at Middletown North Track at 10 a.m. Friday

Forget about Black Friday! This Friday, Nov. 27 is Track Friday in Middletown, and all over the country.

Created right here in Middletown, Track Friday is meant to encourage people to exercise and give to charity instead of shopping.

Meet at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27 at the track at Middletown North High School. All Middletown residents are invited and will be welcome.

“It’s a very casual event. People and family arrive when they can and generally catch up with other participants as they do some laps in support of their designated charities,” Track Friday board member Rob Adinolfi, tells Patch. “There is no required distance to run or walk, and certainly no ’official times.’”

Track Friday is a homegrown event that was created right here. Four years ago, Eric Rubinson, who grew up in the area, told his friends he would run a marathon around the Middletown North High School track — 105.5 laps — if they could raise $5,000 to give to people affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The event has spread to 16 states nationwide, and Track Friday is now in its fourth year.

You don’t have to bring money with you to the track; organizers encourage people to donate on their own to whichever charity they would like. There is no minimum donation.

So far this year, Adinolfi said they have 575 donors who raised $33,500 for 80 different charities.

Just show up with your friends and family at 10 a.m. and walk, jog or skip off those turkey pounds! The crowd promises to be extra big this year, as temps will be balmy on Friday.