MANSFIELD — Hundreds will flock to downtown Mansfield before the sun rises Saturday, Sept. 8 to run in the fourth annual Spherion Mid-Ohio 13ER.
The morning will feature a 5K, two-person relay, memory mile, and for the more serious runners: a 13.1-mile course that starts and ends downtown. The festivities will once again include local vendors, organizations, activities for children and a DJ. This year, all race finishers will be rewarded with a taco from a local favorite, Panchos Tacos.
But there’s much more to the 13ER than just a race and tacos. The 13ER was founded to bring light to organizations actively involved in local drug prevention and to start conversations about drug prevention in Richland County.
“The race was born out of my Leadership Unlimited class and our experience,” said founder Tim Hilterman, who ran the entire 13.1 miles in 2017 in full firefighter’s gear. “During a community awareness day, the drug problem was suddenly made personal in a dramatic way, as we spoke with everyone from those struggling with addiction to healthcare providers to counselors.
“We knew that we couldn’t just wash our hands of the problem. We had to do something to help the fight.”
From there, the 13ER was born and Spherion Staffing was eager to support an annual event that would bring the community together and promote a greater cause.
“When Tim pitched the idea of the 13ER, we knew this was the event we were looking for,” said Jessica Hiser, Spherion’s Creative Communications Director. “As the leading staffing agency in mid-Ohio, we have unfortunately seen many cases of substance abuse and know all too well the problems it causes.
“Being the title sponsor of the 13ER has provided a way for us to make a greater impact on the communities we service, while supporting local organizations working towards the cause.”
To this day, the race continues to raise money for drug prevention and since 2015, the event has generated more than $75,000.
WHERE IS THE MONEY?
Early on in the planning of this race, an all-volunteer committee led by Hilterman and Hiser was formed to help organize and market the event. They realized very quickly that a partner who could responsibly collect and distribute the funds raised was essential.
It was at that point that the Mid-Ohio Drug Prevention Coalition Fund was established through the Richland County Foundation.
“The Foundation is a trusted steward of resources that are used to help the community,” Hilterman said. “Also, we think it’s very cool that a portion of the funds are endowed, meaning that they will forever generate income to continue this fight for generations.”
WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION?
Founded in 1945 by a group of seven community leaders, the Richland County Foundation was created as an independent nonprofit organization that could accept and administer charitable gifts and bequests, regardless of size, for the benefit of the local community.
“At the Foundation, we work with donors to deliver funds in perpetuity for things that they’re passionate about,” said President Brady Groves. “We invest it in a way and spend it in a way that accomplishes those two goals.”
The Richland County Foundation administers more than 335 charitable funds that serve a variety of charitable purposes depending on the direction of the donor.
Entities interested in using funds from the Mid-Ohio Drug Prevention Coalition Fund must be a 501(c)(3) public charity and would need to be able to deliver accredited services in the area of drug prevention.
Interested parties can contact Senior Community Investment Officer Allie Watson for more on utilizing funds for this particular use.
WHO HAS USED THE MONEY?
When it comes to the $75,564 that have been raised and placed in the Mid-Ohio Drug Prevention Coalition Fund, Hilterman mentioned that a number of grants have been awarded so far.
“Grants have been awarded to provide education and inspiration to help people avoid getting wrapped up in the drug problem,” he said. “We wanted to focus on prevention to hopefully help someone avoid the problem in the first place.”
Community Action for Capable Youth (CACY) and the Starfish Project are two of the organizations that have used money from this fund over the past few years.
For example, the Starfish Project held an event in conjunction with the Children’s Festival that provided support and resources to guardians and caretakers of children who are the victims of addiction or substance use disorder.
“We really want to target friends, family and caretakers of addicts,” said Valerie Rust, intake coordinator at Starfish Project. “Ground zero is the family and it’s very important to empower the people closest to the individual struggling with addiction.”
The Starfish Project was able to use funds from the Mid-Ohio Drug Prevention Coalition Fund because their event was focused on education and prevention of addiction or substance use disorder.
YOU CAN HELP
Is the drug problem in the Richland County community something you’re passionate about resolving? Do you feel like someone needs to do something about it? Why not be a part of the solution?
Sign up to participate in the 2018 Spherion Mid-Ohio 13ER. Your registration directly puts money into the Mid-Ohio Drug Prevention Coalition Fund.
And you don’t have to be an avid runner to participate in the race. You can walk the memory mile or 5K, or even push a stroller. The 13ER committee encourages everyone to come out and have fun on Sept. 8 while supporting local organizations and raising money for a worthy cause.
