Bunny Hop Raises $4,000 for Louison House
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The Mario brothers showed up for the race but not, oddly enough, Elmer Fudd. See more photos here. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The first annual "Bunny Run-Walk-Hop" to benefit the Louison House shelter attracted nearly 200 participants and at least that many spectators Saturday morning.
"We really didn't anticipate more than 50-75 people max. We doubled that easily," said Executive Director Paul Gage after the first wave of walkers — many sporting bunny ears — took off from Holden Street. "I don't know exactly how many at this point, but around 160 to 180. ... It's beyond imagination."
Organizers of the one-mile walk/5-kilometer run (followed by music and refreshments) started the event as part of a more aggressive fundraising campaign for the homeless shelter.
Fundraising has become more and more important as the agency's operating budget continues to be level-funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Family Life Support Center is the only homeless shelter for families in Northern Berkshire. It's helped more 3,500 families and individuals find temporary and permanent shelter over the past 20 years.
"Each year, we have to raise more money, find more grants, hope more contributions come in," said Gage. "It's events like these where you can really raise a great deal of money, but it takes a great deal of work."
A new board and a new chairman in Mark Farrington has made a committment to fundrasing that hasn't been there in the past, he said.
Farrington previously said the event came together in a few short months and that officials hope it will become a major fundraising event. Gage saw it as a way to bookend the seasons — the Bunny Hop in the spring and the Fall Foliage Festival 5K in the fall.
"We're trying to make it so its more than just the race," said Gage. "It's a walk, it's fun stuff for the kids, we're working on expanding that.
This year's event raised about
"I think that will help us tremendously over the next few years," he said. "If we can increase fundrasing from about 10 percent of our budget to 15 it will provide some stability we need in the short term and the long term."
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Tags: benefit, homeless, race,
