YWCA Princeton, ETS To Co-Host Firecracker Fun Run July 13

PRINCETON, NJ – Princeton’s popular family-oriented fun run is back for another edition. YWCA Princeton and ETS will co-host the Firecracker fun run on the ETS Princeton campus at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 13.

During the pandemic, the ETS Firecracker 5K was hosted virtually. This year’s ETS Firecracker Fun Run will be the first in-person collaboration since 2019. The event will be less competitive than previous in-person 5Ks and instead serve as a summer kickoff event.

New this year, the Fun Run will feature a 3K, a DJ, yard games, prizes, and food trucks.

Proceeds from this event will support the Pearl Bates Scholarship Fund, named after a former ETS staff member and YWCA Princeton volunteer who died in 1963 at age 40.

The Pearl Bates Fund helps children and families access childcare and summer programs at the YWCA.

Roughly 30 percent of children enrolled in The Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center at YWCA Princeton receive some form of financial aid subsidy, including the Pearl Bates Scholarship fund.

“We are so excited to be back in person with our partners at ETS,” Melissa White-McMahon, Chief Development Officer at YWCA Princeton, said in a statement.

“This collaboration is the perfect way to start the summer and ensure children and families can participate in all our empowering programs at the YW thanks to the legacy of Pearl Bates and the continued support of ETS.”

Registration is $20 for adults, $15 for children, and event T-shirts are included in the registration fee. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are also available. To learn more about the event and register, visit ywcaprinceton.org./funrun.

“We are proud to co-host the Firecracker Fun Run and welcome our neighbors to ETS’s beautiful campus for a day of family fun,” said Jamal Watson, Executive Director of the ETS Center for Advocacy and Philanthropy. “This event brings our community together for healthy outdoor activities that provide critical support for YWCA Princeton’s childcare and programming that local children and families depend on.”

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