The Bellevue Run Weekend broke all records with this year’s event.  The event saw an increase of over 100% in participants, which helped to raise $110,000 for the charities supported by Bellevue Breakfast Rotary’s Bellevue Run Weekend.

The Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club (BBRC) announced that the Overlake Hospital 10K Run, The Y Family 5K Run/Walk, and Seattle Children’s Kids’ Dash was a resounding success in terms of participants, volunteers and money raised.  A total of 2200 runners and walkers participated in the event, which dwarfed the number of participants from last year’s event by a staggering 100%.  The event also generated $110,000 in funds from the participants, sponsors and individual donations.  These funds will go to supporting Seattle’s Children’s Autism Center, Kindering, Bellevue City Program Scholarship Fund, Bellevue City Family Camp Out and other Eastside local charities.

BBRC’s Bellevue Run Weekend was well organized with over 160 volunteers, police and city workers making sure all aspects of the event were nailed down to ensure participants had a smooth experience.  Many of the participants were complimentary of the well managed operations that covered the smallest of details from registration to getting around the course safely.  The City of Bellevue Mayor, Don Davidson, took the opportunity to read out the Bellevue Run Weekend Declaration prior to the start and handed copies of this declaration to the key principals from the event’s supported charities.

The 10K started with the Seattle Seahawks Blue Thunder drum band lending their support by drumming up a hefty beat of rhythms to get the our runners and walkers motivated for the 10K and 5K courses starting and finishing at Bellevue’s Downtown Park.  All the runners were seen off by Seattle Seahawks Sea Gals from the starting line.

With $110,000 already raised toward supporting Seattle’s Children’s Autism Center, Kindering, Bellevue City Program Scholarship Fund, Bellevue City Family Camp Out and other BBRC charities and the high level of participation, Katherine De Stephano, who headed up the organization of the Bellevue Run Weekend, said: “We had great weather, supportive sponsors and recognition from the City’s Mayor for this locally grown event.  However, this is only part of the story, as it was down to our participants, who helped to make this a truly fantastic day by having fun and supporting the worthy causes involved with our 10K and 5K.”

The involvement from our sponsors was one of the corner-stones of the events success and, we were pleased, the following companies provided support:  Overlake Hospital, Starbucks, The YMCA, Brooks Running, The Microsoft Store, the City of Bellevue, Lingenbrink, Slalom Consulting, Escape Outdoors, Eagle Beverage Company, and many others.  We also had incredible support from the many booth sponsors on the day and we are grateful for their involvement in our fifth year of the run.

One of the Bellevue Run Weekend beneficiaries, Mimi Siegel, the Executive Director of Kindering, said “There is nothing like the sense of fulfillment when our graduates succeed in finishing an exciting race.  We are grateful for the unparalleled community awareness, BBRC’s wonderfully generous contribution, and a place for our families to celebrate their achievements.”  Mimi further added “Thank all your fellow Rotarians for their leadership, hard work, and infectious can-do spirit.”

BBRC’s President, Chuck Kimbrough, was elated with the result and added: “It was an incredible outpouring of support for all the organizations that the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club supports with the Bellevue Run Weekend.  We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.  We are already starting to look toward next year’s Bellevue Run Weekend, where the BBRC can support the community both in terms of charitable causes and promoting healthy lifestyles.  We look forward to seeing everyone next year.”

About Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club

The Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club (BBRC) is known as The Best Darn Club in the World with a membership in excess of 115 community-minded individuals. The club was chartered in 1985 and its membership is dedicated to “service above self” and participating in Rotary International’s mission to promote understanding, goodwill, and world peace.  The vision of the BBRC is to cultivate a dynamic membership that enhances our club values to serve our local and world communities, providing systemic and enduring change.

(www.BellevueRun.com), a family event brought to you by the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club (BBRC), is to be recognized by Mayor, Donald Davidson, prior to the start with a Declaration that recognizes the weekend of April 16-17 as “Bellevue Run Weekend.”

The declaration recognizes Bellevue nationally as one of the best places to live and launch a business in America, actively supports programs that build community and healthy liefstyles for families, adults, teens and children.  The Mayor is planning to read the declaration at 7:50am on April 17th prior to the start of the event, which will add to the excitement of the family event that starts in Bellevue’s Downtown Park and includes the Overlake Hospital 10K Run, The Y Family 5K Run/Walk, Seattle Children’s Kids’ Dash.  Prior to the Mayor’s declaration, participants and spectators are invited to visit the Starbucks Race Village to get a cup of coffee, and to learn about health and fitness by checking out event sponsor booths and vendor exhibits. We are also encouraging participants to enter a bib raffle drawing after the race for great prizes.

This year’s event is already exceeding the 1200 participants that took part last year.  The event will raise money to support the works of the Seattle’s Children’s Autism Center, Kindering, Bellevue City Program Scholarship Fund, Bellevue City Family Camp Out and other Eastside local charities.  Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club has also attracted a record number of sponsors to support this year’s event, which has helped to generate an unprecidented level of participation from people of all ages in our community.  These sponsors include Overlake Hospital, Starbucks, The YMCA, Brooks Running, The Microsoft Store, the City of Bellevue, Lingenbrink, Slalom Consulting, Escape Outdoors, Eagle and many others.

“We are tremendously excited with the news that Mayor Donald Davidson is going to declare the April 16-17 weekend as Bellevue Run Weekend prior to the start of the race.  This declaration will recognize the fact that the Bellevue 10K/5K Run/Walk is helping to bring together neighbors and people from all sections of our community to celebrate and practice improved health through running and walking,” said said Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club President Chuck Kimbrough.  Chuck Kimbrough further adds “it is these types of events that make Bellevue the vibrant and pleasant community that we all enjoy.”

About Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club

The Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club (BBRC) is known as

The Best Darn Club in the World with a membership in excess of 120 community-minded individuals. The club was chartered in 1985 and its membership is dedicated to “service above self” and participating in Rotary International’s mission to promote understanding, goodwill, and world peace. The vision of the BBRC is to cultivate a dynamic membership that enhances our club values to serve our local and world communities, providing systemic and enduring change. If you are interested in learning more, please go to our website at: www.bbrc.net.

C4W will provide up to 100 computers preloaded with the latest version of Microsoft Office, as well as with a specialized database and information management software application.  The database was developed for the Washington State Emergency Food Assistance Program by volunteers who wanted to help the Washington-based hunger relief programs.

David Bobanick, RFH’s executive director, has drawn up a simple application process for any food banks who are interested in securing computers for their efforts.  Bobanick further added “we designed this program to make sure we helped hunger relief organizations in Washington regardless of their size or location.  We strongly encouraged smaller rural programs to apply for this opportunity to secure computing resources that can help them in their efforts to reduce hunger in our state.”

John Martinka from Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club and the C4W feels this is a natural expansion of the C4W program.  “We have worked with many organizations, since our founding in 1998, and to be able to leverage our access to computing resources within our own community in this time of increasing need is significantly rewarding for all associated with C4W.”

About Rotary First Harvest

Rotary First Harvest is a program of Rotary District 5030 and was originally formed in 1982 by Mike Shanahan, Norm Hills and a group of concerned members of the Rotary Club of the University District in Seattle, WA.  Rotary First Harvest’s mission is to: Feed the hungry with surplus nutritious food; Access and improve food distribution and transportation systems; Develop innovative hunger relief solutions; and replicate the concept of Rotary First Harvest.

About Computers for the World

Computers for the World was launched in 1988 by Emerald City Rotary Club (Seattle), Garfield High School Interact Students, Rotarians, and technology teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle.  Student participants are Rotaract and Interact members with technical, linguistic or leadership skills, and the determination to help those in need.  The program has worked with many organizations to expand its programs.  Organizations such as Group Health Cooperative, Microsoft, The Gate Foundation, Alaska Airlines, Boeing, United Airlines, Seattle Public Schools, Newport High School and many others have contributed to the program.

This is the fourth year in which the Bellevue 5K Run/Walk has been supported and we are expecting a turnout of over 1500 participants this year to build on the prior three years successes.  The Bellevue 5K benefits Kindering and other youth projects. Kindering provides individualized family-centered early intervention services for children who are disabled, medically fragile, or vulnerable because of abuse or neglect.

We are pleased that many local companies have stepped in to support the Bellevue 5K Run/Walk and these include: Brooks Running, Microsoft Corporation, the City of Bellevue, Lingenbrink and others.  David Bohan, COO of Brooks Sports said “we are very pleased to be supporting the Bellevue 5K on its fourth anniversary, particularly as it helps encourage a healthy lifestyle and supports the important work of Kindering, as well as other local charities.”

Mimi Siegel, the Executive Director of Kindering, said “We are excited by the prospect of this year Bellevue 5K Run/Walk, especially after the tremendous support we received from last year’s participants in the event.  It will be such a fun and healthy event, and we are thrilled that the course centers on Crossroads Park, our neighborhood jewel.”  Mimi Siegel further added, in gratitude for the BBRC’s work to organize the Bellevue 5K Run/Walk, “Thank you, Bellevue Breakfast Rotary, for your continued support of Kindering and calling attention to the importance of early intervention for infants and toddlers with special needs.”

BBRC’s President, Margie Burnett, further says “We are determined and excited to make the fourth annual Bellevue 5K Run/Walk our best event ever!  With the wonderful support  from over 1200 participants last year, we are looking forward to see many more people enjoy the fabulous outdoors in our City and to support a worthy the cause at Kindering. ”

The BBRC membership is dedicated to “service above self” and we derive much toward this goal through the contributions of our dynamic membership and local businesses.  The club welcomes all interested parties who want to participate, volunteer or donate money to the event to contact us directly via our web: www.Bellevue5K.com.