Photo courtesy of Brittany Channell Local charitable, civic and nonprofit organizations will receive distributions totaling $340,000 from the 18th annual Run For It event in Davis.

DAVIS — The 18th annual Run For It event, presented by the Tucker Community Foundation, raised $340,000 for 76 charitable, civic and nonprofit organizations, featuring more than 1,300 virtual and in-person participants.

Despite the rainy weather on Saturday, Sept. 27, more than 750 participants lined up for the 2k walk and 5k run, held as part of the annual Leaf Peepers Festival in Davis.

Angie Pase, the Run For It Coordinator and Development Director for the Tucker Community Foundation, praised the team captains and participants for their unwavering support and dedication to the event.

“We have been fortunate to have loyal race participants; some teams have been competing in this event since it began in 2007,” Pase said. “Thanks to the success of this event, we have been able to maintain consistent participation and experience steady growth each year, which has positively impacted our local communities.”

Since its inception in 2007, Run For It has raised more than $3.5 million for civic, charitable and nonprofit causes, serving Barbour, Grant, Mineral, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Tucker and Upshur counties in West Virginia and Garrett County, Maryland.

“This year, we welcomed 15 new teams, and we hope to see even more teams join us in the future,” Pase said. “We also appreciate the support from corporate sponsors, county commissions and local businesses in our service area, who have financially invested in these organizations and communities. This year, we witnessed a significant increase in new business sponsors and partnerships as well.”

“The funds and awareness raised through this program are helping us plant the seeds for a very prosperous future for the communities we serve,” said David Cooper, CEO of the Tucker Community Foundation. “This initiative creates opportunities for growth and philanthropic endeavors that will benefit many generations to come. For us, it represents the concept of planting seeds for trees that will provide shade we may never personally enjoy, but that will offer shelter to those in need in the future.”

A TCF press release states, “Run For It would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the volunteers and event staff who played a pivotal role in the success of this event. Their unwavering commitment and tireless efforts truly made this year’s event one to remember.”

The event staff and volunteers included: Angie Pase, David Cooper, Mike Moore, Aggie Arnold, Taylor Ambrose, Nevaeh Nichols, Rachelle Davis, David Moran, Tom Yocum, Blaine Steensland, Bud Parsons, Donna Stiles, Vicky Smith, Robin McClintock, Lizz Yocum, Mike DeVilder, Shelia DeVilder, Nora Howell, Kris Jordan, Mike Kuba, Shawn Kuba, Jim Baczuk, Chris Boyce, Ron Taylor, Doug Martin, Josh Poling, Savannah Poling, Debbie Schoonover, Jeannette Ware, Aaron Williams, Rod Jones, Moran Nesland, Ed Rader, Jimmy Ambrose, Joe Callahan, Elaine George, Bill Peterson, Barb Plumley, Carl Plumley, Lee Shirline, Donna Stiles, Trina Taylor, Gary Berti, Crystal Boone, Barb Douglas, and Brittany Channel.

“The Foundation would like to express special thanks to the West Virginia Department of Highways, West Virginia State Police, Tucker County Sheriff’s Department, Tucker County Office of Emergency Management, Tucker County EMS, Barbour Community Health Association, Mountaineer Challenge Academy, the Town of Davis, and the Davis Volunteer Fire Department,” the release stated.

The final team awards have been tallied and will be distributed to teams in the coming weeks, officials said. The comprehensive list of award results can be found at https://tuckerfoundationwv.org/run-for-it.