Pittsfield's Tyer Challenges Mayoral Candidates To Foot Race
  Linda Tyer hit the ground running in setting up a campaign office on East Street. She is holding letters that were delivered to the three other announced mayoral candidates, challenging them to a fundraising race for the Fourth of July Parade. |
Tyer is challenging current Mayor Daniel Bianchi and challengers Eric Bassett and Craig Gaetani to a foot race ... sort of.
The candidate is asking the others to participate — in person or by proxy — in Berkshire Medical Center's July 4th Independence Day run.
"It's just meant to be something to celebrate Independence Day," Tyer said at her campaign office on Thursday.
The challenge goes as follows: Each mayoral candidate finds six runners to participate in the 5-kilometer race. Those runners can be decked out in team logos and clothing. The top three finishers will have their overall place added together to determine the winning team. The winner donates $50 to the parade committee; the losing teams contribute $100. Each team must be evenly split between men and women.
"It will be an adventure for our teams, give the spectators the enjoyment of a 'race within the race,' and support the hard work of the Pittsfield parade organizers," Tyer said.
The current city clerk said she will be hand-delivering letters to the other candidates for the challenge. Registration forms are available through Thursday, July 2, giving the other candidates a week from the challenge's delivery to recruit runners who hadn't signed up yet.
Candidates for office are excluded from participating in the parade itself. Tyer said the race organizers gave their approval to the challenge.
Nonetheless, she said the challenge isn't really about the campaign — though it will give the candidates a prime time arena to show off T-shirts and apparel. Instead, it is more of just a fun idea. She said she would like to see the friendly wager to raise money expand to other offices like with the city councilors. The faux bet can happen every year, she said, and not just in election season.
"It would be great if this could become a tradition," Tyer said.
Tags: #PittsfieldElection, 4th of July, election 2015, fundraiser,
