Louisville Sports Commission partners with Catholic Charities to collect winter items for refugees
Louisville, Ky. – October 22, 2014 – The Louisville Sports Commission is joining forces with Catholic Charities for the third year in a row to help the agency collect winter items for nearly 1,000 newly arrived refugees.
Registered runners and walkers for the Louisville Sports Commission’s Urban Bourbon Half Marathon are being asked to donate winter coats and blankets, as well as other winter items (gloves, hats and scarves) for refugees who were recently resettled in Louisville. Warm clothing and blankets should be new or gently used and are needed for all ages and both sexes.
Participants can drop off items at packet pick-up at Slugger Field on Oct. 23 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Oct 24 from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. In addition, Catholic Charities will be at the half marathon race start on Oct. 25 on Main Street in front of the KFC Yum! Center and at the post-race party on the Belvedere.
“Each year, we serve a growing number of clients who come from around the globe,” said Chris Clements, community resource developer for Catholic Charities. “A large number of these individuals are locating to Louisville from tropical or desert environments. In nearly all cases, this coming winter will be our clients’ first experience with cold weather.”
“Our runners and walkers have wholeheartedly embraced this initiative, and their support has been enthusiastic,” said Karl Schmitt, executive director of the Louisville Sports Commission. “Through their donations these past two years, Catholic Charities was able to help more than 800 of its clients. We’re hopeful that we can continue to increase the number of people helped this year.”
The Urban Bourbon Half Marathon’s 13.1-mile course pours through the settings that make Louisville unique – starting at 8:30 a.m. at the historic Whiskey Row, and finishing on Main Street in front of the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, showcasing 200 years of bourbon heritage and culture in Louisville. Anyone still interested in participating can still register for $100 at packet pick-up.
The Urban Bourbon Half Marathon is the final race in the Louisville Sports Commissions Fall Runathon. Runners must be 21 or older by Oct. 25, 2014, to participate. The Fall Runathon includes two family-friendly races that offer Louisville-centric routes. The fourth annual Louisville pure tap® 5k was held September 6 at the historic Louisville Water Tower. The Norton Sports Health Great Pumpkin 10k returned for its second year on Oct. 4 at the Parklands at Floyds Fork.