The Haddon Fortnightly Evening Membership Department held its third annual 5K Snowflake Run on Dec. 4 at Crows Woods, where more than 400 people participated and close to 450 registered.
It was a record high for the civic social club, as well as the first race since COVID.
“The turnout was excellent,” said Pat Barnes, co-chair of the Snowflake Run Committee.
She noted the event previously attracted just under 300 participants and only 10 sponsors, but this year, the Fortnightly gained 100 more racers and doubled the number of sponsors. Barnes attributed the increase to the group’s hard work in raising visibility for the race.
“This is the biggest race in Haddonfield right now,” she added. “It’s the most populated, but we give the most swag and the most food of everybody, and the most door prizes and the most coupons. It’s unbelievable.”
Haddonfield police Lt. Stephen Camiscioli agreed, saying this year’s race was one of the most attended contests he’s seen in his 25 year career.
“It was flawless,” he noted. “There were more than enough people to help out. … They had the cooperation, the communication. Everything made it so simple; it almost ran itself.”
Members of Paul VI High School’s cross country team volunteered as race marshals who guided contestants to the course.
Camiscioli shared that it had been a goal of his before he retires next year to have the area used for the Snowflake Run certified. With the help of an Ironman racer and a borough employee, that was accomplished in time for the race.
“[The borough employee] registered it as a USA Track and Field (race route) and because of that, it gets more attention,” the officer explained. “It’s used as a precursor for other (races) now.”
Fifty percent of race proceeds will go to the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF), with the other half given to other local and national charities. Angela Dumadag, senior manager at the foundation, said race proceeds will help support the organization’s mission of ending neurofibromatosis (NF) — which causes tumors in the brain, spinal cord and nerves — through research. The genetic disorder occurs in one in 3,000 births and in all populations.
“It affects 2.5 million people worldwide,” Dumadag said. “The CTF is one of the largest funders of research in the world, and the funds from this event will go a long way to support industry clinical science as well as patient support, advocacy and our clinical network for specialized care for NF patients and their families.”
To learn more about the Children’s Tumor Foundation or neurofibromatosis, visit www.ctf.org. To stay up to date with future Haddon Fortnightly events, visit https://thehaddonfortnightly.org/
