Year 2007 in Review

Take a minute to look back with me at the past year and see the accomplishments of the Merced Running Club.  This is all due to the vision and hard work of our underpaid Race Directors.  In 2007 the Merced Running Club:

• Raised $2776 for the American Cancer Society with the Relay for Life
• Raised $1560 to be split by the track programs of Hilmar High School and Hilmar Middle School
• Donated $1216 to the Atwater 4th of July Committee, for the purchase of fireworks (which are not funded by the city of Atwater)
• Donated $800 to the Merced Rescue Mission to put on a free Thanksgiving dinner at the Legion Hall in Merced
• Donated to the Merced College aquatics program and to Merced city's youth program (I don't know the dollar amount)
• Donated $643 to the Hornitos Patrons Club, an organization that restores and maintains historic buildings in Hornitos
• Donated $300 to the Mariposa Boy Scouts
• Donated 225 pairs of shoes to Catholic Charities and the Merced Rescue Mission
• Awarded Ken Schwisow scholarships of $250 to four college students who participated in Merced area high school track or cross country
• Paid for the lights to be on at the Merced College track on Tuesday nights from October through March each year
• Organized six annual local races in Atwater, Hilmar, Hornitos, Mariposa, Merced and Winton
• Held nine Fall Fun Runs at Applegate Park in Merced, as well as the Fog Jog, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve Fun Runs
• Held three all-comer track meets in June at Merced City College, attended by 80 to 90 runners of all ages