Challenges
Place
Description
Miss racing? We do too!
For 24 years the Lakeland Runners Club (LRC) has put on the Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series to motivate the local running community to stay active during the hot summer months in preparation for fall racing. The LRC funds scholarships for Polk County high school graduates from the proceeds of this summer series.
The LRC will always place the health and safety of our participants, volunteers, and the well-being of our community at the forefront. Because of CDC health guidelines, the club had to make the tough decision to reformat our three-race summer series for 2020 into a challenge.
The Summer Miles for Scholarships Community Challenge is our way of continuing to encourage and support one another through the summer in the absence of racing and will allow the club to award scholarships in 2021.
How will you challenge yourself between June 1 and August 31?
You have 7,862,400 seconds, 131,040 minutes, 2184 hours, 91 days, or 13 weeks. Set a goal and see how far you can go. Start or join a group. Together, as a community, we're going to log some serious miles.
Starting June 1, you will be able to submit your virtual results. Logging your data on this platform is optional, but we know every mile we each contribute will motivate someone else to keep moving too.
What counts? Walks and runs only, please. You are self-reporting, and we are not requiring proof. This challenge is to encourage you to stay active in the absence of races so you'll be ready to race with us this fall.
OUR WHY
Giving back to our community is important to us
The proceeds of the 2011 Watermelon Series created the first LRC scholarship fund and $1,000 was awarded to one Polk County high school senior. With the continued support by runners and walkers at the Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series, the club has since awarded $78,500 in scholarships through a program administered by the Polk Education Foundation.
Join the Summer Miles for Scholarships Challenge by making a donation of your choice. We know the power of a group will multiply both our ability to make a difference for the kids in our community and your motivation to stay active this summer. Run or walk or run/walk — any of these activities are great for the challenge and great for your health too!
Our goal is $10,000. All additional donations will be given to kidsPack, a local nonprofit that distributes food to children on weekends and during school breaks, so no child goes hungry.
THIS ISN'T A VIRTUAL RACE - IT'S A COMMUNITY CHALLENGE
This is different than a virtual race. This is a community challenge to find the power of our collective summer efforts.
100% of your tax-deductible donation will go to either to the Scholarship Fund or kidsPACK. There is no shirt or medal. You will earn an amazing sense of accomplishment that your contribution will make a difference for Polk County students.
Running alone can be difficult, but together our miles will make a difference! Set up a group with your family, friends, sports team, neighbors, or colleagues to encourage and motivate one another all summer long. Until it's safe for us to get back to racing and hosting group events, please continue to follow all CDC guidelines on good hygiene habits and physical distancing on your run.
MAKE YOUR MILES COUNT - FAQ
We have two goals for this challenge:
1. Raise $10,000 for scholarships. As an individual, awarding a $1,000 scholarship might be difficult, but together we can fund ten scholarships for 2021! There is no minimum donation amount required (or maximum either!). A list of our scholarship recipients can be found on the LRC website.
2. The LRC mission is to encourage running and walking for people of all ages and abilities. We are challenging you to keep running and walking all summer so we can tally how many miles our community can achieve "together". Our group runs, training programs, and races might all be suspended right now, but our enthusiasm for our sport hasn't dimmed.
When does the challenge start?
Challenge Window: You will be able to enter your summer miles from June 1 through August 31. We will send step-by-step instructions on how to log your miles on or before June 1. If you register after June 1, you will receive them when you join.
Registration: You can register and donate toward the challenge starting May 6. The registration window will remain open until August 24. The window to just donate, or add an additional donation opens May 6 and continues through August 31.
It's a challenge - are there awards?
We will be celebrating cumulative milestones along the way. Join us on our social media channels or our website for these celebration announcements.
Challenge Contact Info
If you have any questions about this challenge, click the button below.
