Thanksgiving 2020 was supposed to be like every other year for the Bucks County Roadrunners.
The local running group had just come off the 30th anniversary of its Customers Bank Thanksgiving Five Miler, attracting the most racers ever and raising more than $15,000 for three local charities.
This year was promising to be even bigger, but the COVID-19 pandemic happened and the race was canceled.
“We had a lot of meetings during the pandemic,” said Bill Schaffling, president of the BCRR. “We tried to think of any way we could have the race, but it was just not possible because of the physical location. We would not be able to keep everyone separated.”
Schaffling and the BCRR have every intention to return to the Summit Square Shopping Center in Middletown in November 2021, but in the meantime the organization has encouraged its members to give what they can to their usual benefactors. Each year, proceeds from the Thanksgiving Miler has been split between the Parkinson Alliance, Advocates for Homeless & Those in Need and the Give A Christmas fund.
“Members have been making direct donations to the charities,” Schaffling said. “We also setup our website to collect donations, and whatever we get through the site, we will split among the three groups.”
The BCRR has kept its other annual Give A Christmas fundraiser on the schedule, the Jingle Bell Run 5K. Usually held in December, the race has been pushed back to mid-January, part of the BCRR’s revised Winter Series of runs at Tyler State Park. The series has been whittled down to eight events from the usual 11, and participation will be limited to 175 runners, a little more than half of the typical 300 to 350.
Every dollar counts for the Give A Christmas fundraiser, even when they come in after Christmas.
The Bucks County Courier Times partners with the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club each year to collect money that is distributed to needy families in Lower Bucks. The families receive $25 vouchers that can be redeemed at local grocery stores and department stores.
This year’s fundraising target is $120,000, matching last year’s goal. As of Wednesday, 2020’s donations has the campaign outpacing last year’s by nearly $30,000, according to Mary Berman, Kiwanis member and Give A Christmas organizer.
“We are at around $77,000 as of Wednesday morning,” Berman said. “Last year at this time we were at about $46,000. At the rate we are going, I am hopeful we are going to make our goal. The community is really coming through for us.”
Those totals have not accounted for the generous matching funds pledged by Bucks County philanthropists Gene and Marlene Epstein. This week, they have doubled their efforts, promising to match donations of $500 or more up to $50,000 for each of the Give A Christmas campaigns in the county. The Intelligencer and the Bucks County Opportunity Council organize a similar fundraiser for families in central and upper Bucks.
“That’s just the kind of people the Epsteins are,” Berman said. “A couple days ago Gene was with us at the ERA food pantry on Woodbourne Road, and he handed out envelopes of $100 bills to everyone that drove up.”
Vouchers have been sent out to Lower Bucks County schools, which will then distribute them to the eligible families that have asked for the holiday assistance through the schools. Kiwanis members are now going through letters sent directly to them and sending off the necessary vouchers. Any money left over or collected after Christmas will be used to fund the Kiwanis Club’s charitable efforts throughout the year.
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