Special Sections

!"#$%&' 678#-9#:-.+ 678#-9#:-.+ blueshieldca.com Blue Shield of California is proud to support the 2020 Wharf to Wharf Virtual Race. © 2020 Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Shield Association A52341 (7/20) The second but equally important factor, Mark adds, was that they "… hoped a virtual event would be a good distraction for people, and a good motivator for them to engage safely in healthy activity during these extraordinary times." Annually, WTW is typically the biggest endurance event in Santa Cruz County, and thus takes the responsibility of being a community role model very seriously. "We feel the pressure to make the right decision for ourselves, the health and safety of our community, but also for all events county-wide," says Scott. "In decisions like this, it is crucial to have a board of directors to lean on. With a wide range of backgrounds and opinions, it allows us to seek out opinions from different sectors of our community, which helps us make an informed decision that is best for the masses." Given the registration numbers, it appears the Board made a good decision. "We were nervous this year's hardship was going to negatively impact our ability to support the programs, facilities and student- athletes we annually contribute to," says Scott. But the community came through, allowing WTW to "… continue to pour money back into the health and running community," Scott adds. Since the race first started more than 45 years ago, WTW has donated more than $6 million to Santa Cruz County youth sports programs. WTW traditionally sells out the physical 16,000-person event in four different registration windows, or time periods. Each window sells out in less than 24 hours. "In a virtual format this year, we have 9,000 participants," shares Scott. "Going into the event without any precedent, we had no idea how many would register. We had a goal of hitting 5,000 people… so our entire organization is ecstatic to nearly double our original target." Mark finds it gratifying that so many runners wanted to see "some form of WTW" this year. "The virtual format gives people an opportunity to participate safely in healthy exercise while contributing financially, through their entry fee, to local athletic programs." Although profit from the virtual race will not match a normal year, the 2020 event will be a financial success. "With the money we make this year, along with reserves that had been set aside in the past, I expect we will be able to continue making the same charitable contributions that we have traditionally made in the past to local running/ fitness programs," says Mark. This includes annual scholarship programs benefiting four local graduating high school seniors who will participate in collegiate athletics. So, what does the future hold for WTW? The Board works year-round on the event, only taking two months off right after the July race before holding an annual day-long retreat in September to kick off planning. They spend a full day discussing details on where the organization currently sits, goals for the future, and initial thoughts for the next year's race. "We will begin planning for our 2021 Wharf to Wharf Race this September," says Scott. "Like everyone else, we are week to week at the moment, so it's really hard to know what will happen by this fall. Who knows what 2021 will look like at this point?" Only time will tell. In the meantime, here's to a fulfilling and healthy future for everyone in the Santa Cruz County community and beyond. ...continued from pg 1

• Cover