Numerica Credit Union had the pleasure of sponsoring The Happy Girls Run in Spokane, WA September 2016. With the beautiful terrain of the Centennial Trail and Riverside State Park, Spokane was a great Pacific Northwest city to bring this event to. Numerica was the primary sponsor for the event and wanted to give those running the half marathon, 10k, or 5k three things…. Bacon, beer, and photos. Who wouldn’t run a 5k, 10k, or half marathon for those?
The 2016 race was the third annual Happy Girls Run in Spokane and proved to be another success in the Lilac City. The runners had the option to run either a 5k, 10k, or half marathon. Happy Girls Run has the hope of inspiring individuals of all fitness levels to complete the race, and finish it together. Numerica’s sponsored event was more than just a race; they aimed to create fun pre and post race celebrations, including, food, beer, cocktails, shopping, etc. Thanks to the generosity of the many local sponsors, all runners received fun take home photos, beer, bacon, and gift bags.
Step 1: Beer Numerica also wanted to provide beer for the racers as well. Through the sponsorship of local breweries such as River City Brewing, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., and Atlas Cider Co., they were able to provide beer for all those in attendance. The presence of beer obviously created a social and fun environment for the racers after the race. Many of the local breweries and sponsors were there to take part in the post race celebrations and festivities.
Step 2: Bacon What’s a Saturday morning without bacon? Another thing that Numerica wanted to provide to the participants was delicious bacon. Beer and bacon after a race, what could be better? Another fun and delicious way Numerica made this race memorable for the racers and participants. Racers enjoyed bacon, along with many other delicious food options thanks to the many sponsors and vendors at the race.
Step 3: Photos Numerica provided the photos for the racers through Photoboxx. The runners could post their photos to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #happygirlsrun and they would receive free prints of their posted pictures. This provided runners with a memorable take home, and created a lot of buzz for the event and the event sponsors on various social media platforms. There were 415 posts to Instagram and Twitter reaching over 65,000 individuals. There were 1,045 racers in 2016, so approximately 40% of racers engaged through social media. Through Photoboxx, the hashtag created exceptional buzz for the event, and the best part, content was created by the runners.
The Happy Girls Run is a two day event with the packet pick up and girls night out, followed by the race the following day. This provided runners the opportunity to mingle with others runners, connect, and enjoy time together. Happy Girls Run had many opportunities for individuals to volunteer and support the runners. For example, volunteers could choose to run alongside the runners as happy pacers, while motivating and encouraging the women racing. If running was not what you had in mind in terms of volunteering, there were many options for individuals and businesses to get involved in this great event.
The race proceeds were going to a local non- profit, Statement. Statement has the primary goal of preventing dating abuse, while teaching leadership and character development among today’s youth and young adults. Not only did racers generate marketing for the sponsors and the event, but they brought awareness to a cause, and organization.
The Happy Girls Run was a great event thanks to the many generous local sponsors, volunteers, and of course, the runners themselves. Beer, bacon, and photos, and the people will come and run.
