The 19th annual Race to Erase initiative is seeking to raise roughly $30,000 this spring to support charitable organizations in the community.
Hashtag Charitable Foundation Spokesperson Kaley Holder said as of March 20, 10 teams have signed up to participate but they usually see a dramatic increase in registrations closer to the event date.
Teams of four will compete in different challenges across the city -- testing creativity, team building, and problem-solving -- and the fastest team will walk away with a trophy.
"We always like to see between 10 and 14 stops, depending on the number of participating teams," Holder said. "Our goal this year is to see more than 30 teams join in in Race to Erase."
The registration fee per team is $500.
This year, teams can choose from nine organizations to support.
"This year, we are excited to be bringing on That Girl's Got Moxie. They have worked with us in the past hosting race stops, but this year they are one of the beneficiaries of Race to Erase, which is very exciting to see that transition from hosting to directly benefiting from the fundraising component," she said. "We also have Errol Road Public School participating again. This is the third year that we've had a school join in in Race to Erase and we've received a lot of positive feedback from having that participation."
Other organizations include The Inn of the Good Shepherd, The Women’s Interval Home, SWONT Conductive Education, River City Vineyard, Pathways Health Centre for Children, Literacy Lambton, and St. Clair Child and Youth Services.
While there isn't an event theme, a fun aspect of the fundraiser is the creative use of team costumes. In the past, teams have dressed up as bacon strips, bumble bees, and the kids from Recess.
"We love when teams dress up and we love seeing that sense of comradery come walking through the door on race morning," Holder said. "It just adds an extra layer of fun and excitement to the day."
Last year, 29 teams raised over $25,000.
Race to Erase began in 2006 as a way to support The Inn of the Good Shepherd. Since its inception, over $850,000 has been raised in Sarnia-Lambton and Cambridge.
“As we approach the 20th anniversary of the first Race to Erase, my fellow co-founder Scott McKay and I can’t help but reflect on the incredible impact this event has had. Over the years, we’ve been privileged to work with so many passionate individuals, dedicated organizations, and generous businesses—all united by a common goal of giving back,” said Race to Erase Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Hashtag Charitable Foundation Rich Bouchard.
Race to Erase will be held on Saturday, May 31.
Teams can register online.