Unite to Fight 5k

On Sunday, August 25th 2019, Filling in the Blanks will host the second annual Unite to Fight 5K. The race will once again take place at New Canaan High School and will be run through the idyllic Waveny Park in New Canaan. This race seeks to build community through raising funds to provide weekend meals for children facing food insecurity in local neighborhoods.

Raising $18,000 with 9 sponsors and 175 participants, the race exceeded all expectations in 2018 and helped expand our program to assist 56 more children with a year’s worth of weekend meals! This year you have the unique opportunity to get in early as a staple sponsor of this event, which will benefit your brand, and help us continue to grow that success to do even more!

In Fairfield County, more than 33,000 children are not sure where their next meal will come from. Most will get breakfast and lunch from school every weekday, but many will go from Friday lunch until Monday at breakfast without a decent meal. Filling in the Blanks is an organization that fills in those weekend gaps by providing each child in its program with a backpack filled with healthy food for the weekend. When the obstacle of food insecurity is removed, children experience increased academic achievement in school and greater opportunities for success in their lives.

Founded in 2013 by two Fairfield County residents, Tina Kramer and Shawnee Knight, Filling in the Blanks is a 501c3 non-profit organization that has grown from serving 50 kids to serving more than 1,600 kids in Fairfield and Westchester counties.

The Unite to Fight 5K event was inspired through the memory of Kristen Reynolds Ruth, a local kindergarten teacher, mother and friend, who passed in 2011 after a 7-year battle with cancer and was deeply passionate about working with and helping children. The event was created and is directed by her daughter, an NCHS alumni, Britt Gardella, but is now directed under the excellent leadership of Matthew Murray.

Sponsorship Opportunities:

• Sprinter $ 5000
• Runner $ 2500
• Jogger $ 1000
• Strider $ 500
• Fan $ 100-500

Other options:

Raffle: 3 Spaces Available (first come first serve) & equivalent to Strider level sponsorship

1st – Raffle item value must be $500 minimum

2nd – Raffle item value must be $250 minimum + Donation of $250

3rd – Raffle item value must be $100 minimum + Donation of $400

Food: Must be equivalent in value to $500 minimum & will be listed as Strider sponsor level without additional donation or higher contribution equivalent

- Water

- Carb

- Bananas ($20 for 1 case at Trader Joe’s to be bought day before)

Booth Space:

- To have booth space only option that is available for Physical Therapists &/or masseuse only (1 available) - $300

- (booth space only can potentially be for face painters or other fun activities in future events)

- Booth space options for Jogger and Strider levels are an additional $300 on top of original donation

What is the Promo Table? You can provide promotional materials (brochures, stickers, coupons, phone accessories, bracelets, etc.) to lay out to give away to participants at a table laid out at the event