The Highland Hustlers were winners at this year's Race for Kids on two fronts – by finishing first in the event and at the top of the fundraising leaderboard. Comprised of captain Claire Rosehill, Amanda Miller, Jill Zurkan and Dr.
The Highland Hustlers were winners at this year's Race for Kids on two fronts – by finishing first in the event and at the top of the fundraising leaderboard.
Comprised of captain Claire Rosehill, Amanda Miller, Jill Zurkan and Dr. Jody Carrington, the team raised $3,365 for the Boys and Girls Club in Olds.
Carrington was the top individual fundraiser, pulling in $2,695 on her own, winning a pair of WestJet tickets. She plans to use them for a "family getaway."
"I'm so excited all the funds stay local and I don't think I've seen a harder working crew of people just trying to serve the babies in our community. I'm really proud to support them," Carrington said.
"It was super great. A day with some of the strongest women I know on my team, who are quite brilliant. And all for a good cause."
This was the second straight year Carrington finished as the top individual fundraiser.
In total, the event on June 11 generated $19,071.
Sixteen teams participated, up from seven last year.
"Out of all three years we've done this, this was our most successful year," said Raelynn Notley, chair for the Boys and Girls Club. "We couldn't be happier with the result."
"What we saw was people coming out dressed up, ready to have fun, work together and do team building for a club that really depends on this kind of fundraising."
Funds go toward the organization's preteen after-school programming, Notley said.
New programs would be developed as needs are identified in the community, she added.
This year's event was the first time teams that raised more than $1,000 could bypass a checkpoint in the race.
The Highland Hustlers used it to skip the fire station checkpoint. The two tasks were to fill a bucket with a firehose and to drop a water balloon onto a target from the Olds Fire Department's ladder truck.
Carrington said it would have been fun, but time-consuming for their team – and they were in it to win.
"I had some very smart team members who were very strategic and they said, now's our time we can pull ahead. They were right – a brilliant play."
She adds they plan to defend their title next summer.
Click here to find more photos from the event.
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"Out of all three years we've done this, this was our most successful year ... We couldn't be happier with the result." RAELYNN NOTLEY, chair of Boys and Girls Club in Olds
