To some it might seem that Run Seal Beach has always capped off each successful event year with an even more successful grant giving year.
However, history tells a different story of how we came to this point in time.
Run Seal Beach did not become a non-profit entity until late in 1999.
At that time, Bill Ayres, local resident and founder of the non-profit, took management responsibility of the race from the city of Seal Beach.
Up until this time, the race was put on by a combined effort of city Recreation Department staff and volunteers.
There were few to no sponsors at that time and little to no profit.
Monies made went back to the city to cover expenses and to the recreation department fund. Average attendance was under 1,000 per year.
In 2002, things began to change for the organization. The race built its first website and began online registrations.
The directors began soliciting for more local sponsors and started laying the groundwork for what the race has become with 33 sponsors and close to 6,000 participants.
All these changes led to the creation of the Run Seal Beach Grant program, which launched in 2003.
That same year, after the event, the race committee realized enough profit to give back and determined it wanted to go broader than just city program needs.
The charter was amended to state that the organization would give back net profits to the greater Seal Beach community, within the contiguous Los Alamitos School District, each year, and achieve this primarily through the acceptance and award of grants to other nonprofit organizations for the purposes of recreation programs and services.
In the first year of the grant program, Run Seal Beach received less than 10 requests and awarded a total of $27,000.
As the race has grown and the sponsorships and local support have grown, so has the outreach and the ultimate give back to the community, culminating in a record setting sum in 2012 of $156,000 to 64 organizations.
In the 10 years since 2003, Run Seal Beach has served more than 89 organizations and given back more than $825,000. Run Seal Beach has become the single largest source for grants in the local community.
Our funding touches the lives of tens of thousands of local residents, students, program participants and others each year as we work to make our community a healthier place to live.
Registration is available at www.runsealbeach.com. The entire organization thanks you, and thanks the generous sponsors who have helped make these achievements a reality.
Elizabeth Kane is a member of the Run Seal Beach Board of Directors.
