Boasting about 650 participants, the Nelsonville U.S. 33 Bypass Opening Run/Walk/Bike raised about $30,000 for local organizations and charities.
The event, sponsored by the Ohio Department of Transportation, Doctors Hospital of Nelsonville and Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, generated the money for a trio of local groups, said event organizer Tara Gilts.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Athens County, Nelsonville-York City Schools and Nelsonville Main Street received about $10,000 each in proceeds from the event, Gilts said.
Gilts, who also serves as executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, said she plans on using the money to fund mentoring and after-school programs for children in the county. She added that the idea of a race on the bypass was initiated by each of the three organizations.
“All three organizations were kind of independently pursuing this idea,” Gilts said. “We just realized that all three of us wanted to put on this awesome event. It kind of grew from there."
Gilts added that Nelsonville-York City Schools plans on putting the money toward its athletic boosters.
For Nelsonville Main Street, what to do with the extra pocket change was simple, said Bill L’Heureux, a member of its board of directors.
“We’ve put aside some money through Main Street to promote different events here in the downtown area particularly around the square,” L’Heureaux said, adding that a monthly event called “Final Fridays” would get a significant amount of money.
That event is held on the last Friday of each month at the Nelsonville public square, where local art galleries stay open until 10 p.m., he said.
“It’s nice to put a positive spin on the bypass,” he said. “It was a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up and bike and run there.”
sh335311@ohiou.edu
@SamuelHHoward
