Registration is now open for the 2021 TBBCF Walk for a Cure.
Supporters of the Terri Brodeur Foundation can sign up here and start raising money to participate in the full, half or quarter marathon, or a 5K. The route is expected to be the same as in previous years, starting at Saybrook Point in Old Saybrook and ending at Camp Harkness in Waterford. The half marathon will begin on Capitol Drive in East Lyme and the quarter-marathon will begin at Niantic Baptist Church in Niantic. The finish line for all the walks is at Camp Harkness, where the 5K also will take place.
The annual fundraiser is scheduled for Oct. 2, 2021 — as always the first Saturday in October. It will include a brief opening ceremony and warm-up exercises in Old Saybrook just before 7 a.m. and conclude at Camp Harkness with snacks and drinks and a closing ceremony.
Participants are asked to commit to raising money for their fundraisers — $500 for the full marathon, $250 for the half marathon, $200 for the quarter marathon and $150 for either the 5K or the virtual event. Walkers have until Dec. 31, 2021 to turn in donations.
This year’s event also includes a virtual walk, in which participants can choose their own date and place to complete their commitment. Last year there was only the virtual walk, and the pandemic forced people to think in different ways. Some biked or swam their miles. One person walked across the Hudson River on the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The virtual walk fundraising commitment is $150 for any distance.
Kate Davis, walk chair and operations director for TBBCF, said participants can raise money at their own events to help meet the donation commitment. In the past, walkers have hosted steak dinners and golf tournaments, sold T-shirts and held trivia contests and raffles. “Walkers are encouraged to host their own fundraisers,” she said.
Last year, despite the difficulties presented by Covid-19 restrictions, 303 people signed up to participate, with about 23 percent from out of the area. In 2019, 401 people signed up for the walk in southeastern Connecticut. Davis is looking forward to a fun and exciting event.
“I hope to surpass the 2019 level,” she said. “I would love to have 500.”
More information on the walk and details about raising funds is available in the Terri Brodeur Foundation Walker Guide.