Earlier this year, the members of Twin City Track Club voted to revise our bylaws to include a mission statement: To inspire and support all runners in our community. This mission statement was initially developed by your board in 2017 concurrent with the club’s 40th anniversary and is now a formal affirmation of what our club is all about. Pretty awesome declaration, huh?
One of the many great things about Twin City Track Club is the opportunity for members to directly act upon this mission through volunteerism and participation in club activities. During the first nine months of this year, 102 club members have volunteered a combined total of 261 times. These volunteers have inspired and supported runners by helping out at races, club activities, group runs and Hanes Park cleanups. That’s fantastic!
I am optimistic that we can do even more in the months and years to come. I’m happy to report that our membership numbers have increased for seven months in a row to 584 after experiencing about an 18% drop in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine what we could accomplish if every member volunteered at least some of their time each year. You can find out more about volunteering on our website at https://www.twincitytc.org/volunteering. Help us live our mission!
Not only do we support all runners, but we also support the community at large. Through the Beat the Heat Charity Partner program, we have now raised over $28,000 during the past six years for local nonprofits that have a direct impact on community health and fitness. And beginning this year, we’ve added a charity partner program for the Fit 4 Race Series with close to $1,000 raised already. These numbers don’t even count the charities supported by all the other local races we assist with race timing and other services.
On another note, I’m glad to report that our return to normal continues to trend in a positive direction relative to running events. Race organizers are learning how to put on safe events even as we continue to struggle with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the national and international level, we’re seeing the return of some larger races. Locally we’re seeing many races reappear on calendars and registration numbers creeping back up. For TCTC affiliated races, we processed 753 race registrations during September, the most of any month since Sept. 2019 at 1,061 race registrations.
One of the consequences of the pandemic is a shorter planning window for both race organizers and participants. As we continue to gain knowledge, experience and confidence, we hope that our planning horizons return to normal. In the meantime, stay tuned to future announcements about TCTC events and activities. There will continue to be many ways that we support you and all runners in our community.
Happy Running!
Er