Author: pagodapacers

General Meeting Minutes

Date: July 8, 2021

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Tino’s Restaurant, Wyomissing

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther—we are 124% of target. Blues Cruise expenses are starting. The Charlie Horse race is cleared. Run for the Ages race is just about done. The scholarships are paid.

Races:

• Charlie Horse Half Marathon (completed for 2021)—Shaun Luther—The income received this year was about half the amount as usual. Shaun made a motion to contribute a $1600 donation to Special Olympics, which includes the $575 direct donations. The motion was seconded and approved. For next year’s event, the directors will decide between the typical point-to-point or the same course as this year. They are considering moving the race to an earlier weekend, due to the potential conflict with Maple Grove Raceway events and other running races on that weekend.
• Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (completed for 2021) –Donna Hey—The race had 117 finishers, and has 3 registrations for next year so far. The race will make about $3000. The amount of donation to Nolde will be $1500 from the race. The motion was made, seconded, and approved. June 26, 2022 is reserved for the next race. Thank you especially to Charlie Crowell for taking on the parking challenge at Nolde, which has a lot of parking rules.
• Grings Mill 5K and 10K (Sunday, August 1)—Caroline Hill—109 entrants registered so far. The directors sent an email blast and opened same-day registration. They are doing chip-timing this year; individual snacks for the runners. They are setting up Saturday, 7/31, about 2 p.m., and volunteers are needed. The shirt is long-sleeve this year and has a new logo. The award this year are not as deep. There won’t be the 5-year increments, just 10-year increments to lessen the crowding with the award ceremony
• Blues Cruise 50K (Sunday, October 3)—Stephan Weiss—registration going strong, 246 runners. Expect to have largest BC event ever. Up to 450 runners, and may sell out by mid-September. The hats and gloves are ordered. The shirt is from RUseeN. The donation funds that have been reserved from previous years are planned for use to replace the bridge in the Pacer maintenance area. Funds will be combined with donations from Stephan’s Naked-series races to make a large donation. The plan is to get this bridge repaired by the race. Aid station news: Matt Brophy will work with the local Fleet Feet personnel who want to host a station.
• Oley Valley Country Classic (Saturday, October 9)—Lenny Burton— The race will be apple-themed this year (the fruit, not the tech company) to coincide with the Oley Apple Fest. Each entrant will receive a $5.00 food ticket for the Fest. Donations this year are going to Oley Ambulance. The start and finish will be at Oley Fairgrounds (note the change from previous years). Lenny and Barry will need a lot of volunteers.
• Kris Kringle 5 Miler (date for 2021 to be announced)—Polly Corvaia—The directors will start planning next month, same race as usual is planned. Gnomes will be back. Door prize suggestions are welcomed. John Thompson is postponing being a race director this year, due to his wife’s baby due date.
• Shiver by the River 5K and 10K—Sue Jackson – planning like pre-COVID times, the second Sunday of the months, to be officially announced soon.
• Jr. High Cross Country Fall Invitational—no update

Committee Reports

Social Committee:

• Wine and Cheese Party—Karin Long—Sept 18 or 25, depending on date confirmation, at Lily’s Vineyard on Skyline Drive. Has an outdoor and indoor venue.

Communications Committee: no report

Community Service:

• Weekly runs—first gathering post-run hosted event by Lenny Burton.
• Race Mate events—Dale Weiss—2 races with 5 adaptive athletes. Currently have 4 chariots owned by IAM Able. Running the races: Jingle in July 5K (7/24, Grings Mill), and the Bradley Mayer Memorial Running Man 5K on August 14 at the Wyo Quarry Soccer Field. The athletes really enjoy it. They try to have 2 guides per chariot—one to push and one to interact with the athlete. Interested Pacers who want to push the chariots should contact Mike Whalen (michaelwhalen102@gmail.com). Dale is working with IAM Able. They are opening this adaptive athlete opportunity up to the Berks County vicinity residents. Kris Jacoby is also involved in the organization of these events. The chariots are very maneuverable, and a safety orientation given prior to the race—the adaptive athletes and supporters start at the back of the race. IAM Able is getting new vests for the volunteers, and getting finishers medals for the athletes.
• Trail Maintenance

Charity Committee

• The scholarships were paid out.

Membership committee: no report

Old business – none

New business

• Jim Blandford was written up in Runner’s World magazine for running 1,000,000 feet of elevation.
• Got the Nerve Triathlon, Lewisberry, PA, on 9/18—volunteer opportunities to race with an adaptive athlete, and the other is to do a leg of a relay race. Grants available to support this on September 18.
• Mike Whalen suggested a trip to the Velodrome as a night out. 

General Meeting Minutes

Date: June 10, 2021

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Victor Emmanuel II pavilion

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther—we are 130% of target. Charlie Horse income is in, but not all expenses. Other races are reporting income, but not expenses yet. Berks County Coaches are owed money.

Races:

• Charlie Horse Half Marathon (completed for 2021)—Shaun Luther—113 finishers about half what it usually is, but the weather was horrible. Perhaps will make about $2000 income, not including the direct donations to Special Olympics. One lesson from this year: at the start, a reminder of the cut off time will given to the runners, so they will know to keep track (but it was in the race description this year). Polly did the results timing using RunSignUp, and she did a good job, saving some timing fees. And thanks to Charlie and his family for their generosity in making this year’s event successful, given all the challenges.
• Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (Sunday, June 27)—Volunteers are needed. Ted Andrus has donated two Southwest airline tickets, so this prize will be available again this year. Same-day tickets will be available for $10 each. Must be present to win. No frills race this year. About 80+ registrants so far, still no day-of registration. Updates are sent out via Constant Contact and Pretzel City Sports (PCS). Currently Nolde requires that anyone not vaccinated to wear a mask.
• Grings Mill 5K and 10K & ½ mile kids run (Sunday, August 1, 2021)—Jane Setley—all on-line registration via PCS. Reducing the awards, but otherwise the same course that starts from the Berks Heritage Center.
• Blues Cruise 50K (Sunday, October 3)—Dan Govern—close to 200 are registered, guaranteed to sell out at the 450 cut off. Swag will be decreased—will be a shirt (from RUseeN), hat, and gloves. Food will include some vegan options at the aid stations. Dan will start some training runs at the end of June, to be announced, and he is asking for some leaders for the training runs. Regarding the use of previously donated funds, the Army Corps of Engineers contact is not responding to emails, but a bridge on the back side does need repair, so Dan will pursue that.
• Oley Valley Country Classic (Saturday, Oct 9)—no report
• Kris Kringle 5 Miler—no report
• Shiver by the River 5K and 10K—Sue Jackson—has started planning. Will be pretty much the same as it has been, the second Sundays of the month.

Committee Reports

Social Committee:

• Karin Long will assist with a Wine and Cheese – possibly aiming for a date in mid to late September. 

Communications Committee—Jane Setley—have anything to post, just reach out. Jane can do updates on the web page now or Ed Recker can do them as well. She is looking for new pictures for the scrolling feature.

Community Service

• Weekly runs—Steve McGuire—Constant Contact® emailing for new runners has been successful. Those runs will be kept closer to a central location to encourage better attendance.

Charity Committee—Scholarships were awarded and announced for this year.

• Race mates—next Pacer event for this activity is the Grings Mill race. Contact Mike Whalen if interested in being a Race Mate. 

Old business

• Next Thursday is the Zach Miller movie in Lancaster. If anyone goes to this, please provide feedback to Steve.
• The Worlds End Ultramarathon aid station sponsored by some of our Pacers came together, was well done, as usual, and received some excellent publicity. 
• Shaun and Dave’s Excellent Adventure was a success.

New business

• Jane Setley—“Wine, Women, and Shoes,” an Opportunity House fund raiser, usually at the DoubleTree Hotel, is this year at a hangar at the Reading Airport. She needs help with parking. 
• Inside the trailer is a grill with four burners which was purchased for use at a race, but is now taking up needed space—Dan Govern would like to get it out the trailer. Mike Whalen said he would store it at this house. It was decided that that if no one uses it for a year, then he can keep or dispose of it. 
• Christmas Party? Yes, please.—December 3—voted on and seconded. Swamp will start the arrangements. Ben Galen will get in touch with his father about the donations for the raffle.