Foliage Bed Race Raises More than $1K for Hospital
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| Brian and Janeen Flagg check the check for Northern Berkshire Healthcare. |
So when the opportunity came up to do just that, plenty of people were willing and able to join in. Why not? And so was born the Fall Foliage Charity Bed Race, which was held for the second time during this past Fall Foliage Festival Weekend.
But it's not all about the competition, and that's where the "charity" comes in.
The bed race benefits the nonprofit Northern Berkshire Healthcare, parent company of North Adams Regional Hospital. On Friday morning, bed race founders Brian and Janeen Flagg presented the hospital with a check for $1,150.
"The real story is this group's efforts and the lengths they go to to support our programs," said Richard Palmisano, president and chief executive officer of NBH. "It awes me that people put this much effort into it."
Palmisano did his own part for the race, too, as a member of the hospital's "Bed Bugs" racing team.
 Brian and Janeen Flagg pose with NBH President Richard Palmisano as they present the him with a check for $1,150 from the Fall Foliage Charity Bed Race. |
Janeen Flagg said the business community had responded overwhelmingly when asked to donate gifts for the racers and other needs, providing upwards of $1,600 in prizes.
"I can't say enough about how great these businesses were," said Flagg, noting the gift baskets for the top three teams had to be big enough for five people. "Each person gets their own prize."
The first year, there was only enough to give the winning team a basket; this year, it was win, place and show as well as a winning entry for creative design.
With the amount creativity shown in the decorated and constructed beds for this year's race, both Flaggs said that category should be expanded, too. "We're hoping to triple or more [the number of contestants] next year," said Janeen Flagg.
The money from the race will be used for urgent needs, said Palmisano, such as equipment or materials not covered in the budget.
"So we may help buy something the hospital really needs," said Brian Flagg. "That's great."
