About 700 participants came together for the first Distance for the Difference race Saturday at CityScape, running or walking 18,286 feet to represent the 18,286 children who had to stay at least one night in Phoenix Children’s Hospital in 2015.
The event, put on by PCH and Phoenix 20-30, drew around a thousand people to help raise money and awareness for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation.
All the proceeds of the $25 entry fee were donated. Donations from the race’s 10 different sponsors, including event presenter RSM US, will fund over 60 programs and services at PCH.
Phoenix 20-30 is a men’s charity group that provides aid and services to children in the Phoenix community, and works closely alongside PCH, raising and donating every year. Steve Schnall, the senior vice president and chief development officer at PCH, came up with the idea to collaborate with Phoenix 20-30 and hold a charity run to support the hospital and its patients.
“We’ve seen many patients here because they love that people came out to support them,” PCH volunteer Ashley Harley said. “It’s our community that is here supporting these kids.”
The pre-race festivities started at 7 a.m. and the run started at 8 a.m, followed by a children’s one-mile dash, which had a $3 entry fee. Along with the race, food vendors and local team mascots, radio station Hot 97.5 kept attendees entertained with music.
“It was a really great turnout considering this is the first year, we’re all just out here supporting the kids in the hospital,” runner Esteban Ferrer said.
Sponsors included RSM US LLP, The Breakfast Joynt, Owens Harkey Advertising, Baron Properties, The Joint Chiropractic, CityScape, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Amica Insurance, Ameriprise Financial and Welmed.
“We (RSM) were able to fundraise about $20,000 to give to Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” RSM representative Alla Lulu said. “We raise money from our 80 offices across the nation, and Phoenix was the number one office as far as fundraising for a local charity.”
Former Phoenix 20-30 president Kris Birkeland said each year the event will grow as access to PCH grows, and the founders will go as far as necessary for children in Phoenix.
“Our goals for the first year are to have a great event in which every participant comes away excited for next year,” Birkeland said. “We will raise some money and awareness this first year but we have a big vision for this in the future.”
Contact the reporter at mrjohn43@asu.edu.
