Guest Column: Community makes Run Seal Beach go, then it benefits

Deb Machen. File photo

More than 4,000 participants filled the streets of Seal Beach from the start line to the finish line Saturday morning, leaving their stamp on the community for the 45th year running. The Run Seal Beach Board would like to thank it’s more than 500 volunteers, race crew, the City of Seal Beach Public Works department, the Seal Beach Police Department, Lifeguards and other public safety personnel who worked tirelessly to make the run safe and fun for all.

The Run Seal Beach Board would like to thank all of our sponsors for their continued support of the run:

Event Partner – The City of Seal Beach; Platinum Sponsor – The Bernadette Family; Gold Sponsors – Dendreon, Scan and Crystal Geyser; Silver Sponsors – AES Alamitos and Shea Homes; Bronze Sponsors – DTS, Shey Harding Executive Search, Bay Hardware, Automotive Excellence, Sea Air FCU, Anytime Fitness, Alamitos Eye Care, Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce, Seal Beach Lions, Richards|Watson|Gershon Attorneys at Law, Kind Bar, TruMoo, Wicorek Family Dentistry, Calcopa, Sun Newspapers, News Enterprise, Shaw & Blasi LLP, Dekra-Lite, McDonald’s Seal Beach, Chang Orthodontic, Los Alamitos Pediatric Medical Group, F & M Bank, Fit Bar, Fresh Cut Creative and Ned’s Produce; Runner Sponsors – The Bay Theatre, Cold Stone Creamery Seal Beach and Braithwaite Chiropractic.

RSB would also like to recognize the following organizations:

Police Explorers from Seal Beach, Laguna Beach, Santa Ana, Westminster, La Palma, Buena Park, Fountain Valley, Cypress, La Habra, Placentia, Tustin, Border Patrol, Orange, Bell and Santa Ana School Police; CERT volunteers and VIPS volunteers

The core charter of Run Seal Beach is to raise funds and awareness for recreation or fitness programs and services to benefit the greater Seal Beach Community including Rossmoor and Los Alamitos. Since 2003, RSB has given back over $1,688,000 to our community, representing more than 114 organizations through the years.

The grant process is open now, and any health or fitness related organization is encouraged to apply. The total amount of grants to be awarded this year is not yet known. To be eligible to apply, the applicant must be: based in the contiguous Los Alamitos School District and be requesting funds in support of recreation fitness programs or services. The definition of recreation is “refreshment by means of some pastime, agreeable exercise, or the like. It may also be a pastime, diversion, exercise, or other resource affording relaxation and enjoyment.”

In addition, the requesting organization must be IRS recognized as a non-profit or service organization and provide a letter of determination. Finally, all grant applicants must also provide a detailed costing for requests. This documentation may be in the form of catalogue pricing, quotes or some other format. Scholarship requests must be supported with documentation as to the scholarship process used to award them.

For more information about the grant process or any aspect of the race, visit www.runsealbeach.com. See you next year!