FUN DAY -- RUN DAY!
BOOK IT FOR BOOKS 2019!!!
Over 225 runners and walkers turned out on a beautiful October 12th morning to support children's literacy in our community by participating in RIF of NOVA's
Book It For Books! It was a day of happy faces and celebration, as people of all ages and stages showed up to be part of a true happening! Thanks to everyone who ran, walked, dressed in a literary costume, cheered, volunteered, and supported this very wonderful cause! The pictures pretty much say it all!
|
|
Ready! Set! And they were off for the 5K!
|
|
Followed by some eager One-Mile fun runners!
|
|
And the 5K winners were...
|
|
Alana Jacaruso, a sixth grade special ed teacher from Philadelphia, won the 5K with a winning time of 18:21. She came to town for the weekend and just happened to find our race on the Potomac River Running website. As the top female finisher, she won a gift certificate to PR! Nice!
|
|
The top men's 5K finisher was Evan Luzi with a time of 19:41. A freelance cameraman, Evan not only likes to run, but his mom is a reading teacher -- so he thought our 5K would be very appropriate! He, too, won a PR gift certificate. Congratulations!
|
|
At the under-17 level, the winner was Lincoln Branch, age 9, from Ashlawn Elementary School in Arlington -- with a time of 26:05. His favorite book is "Lucky Strike," and this was his very first 5K. He is shown here with his mom Amanda Rabinowitz, showing his winning gift certificate to Barnes & Noble!
|
|
Teams of runners and walkers had a ball!
|
|
Team Patrick Henry consisted of 30 walkers from Patrick Henry Elementary School in Alexandria. Led by school librarian and RIF of NOVA board member and liaison Kelsey Frey, they were excited and ready to go!!!
****
Team John Adams (Elementary School in Alexandria) also joined in for the fun, led by librarian Emily Godfrey! SO glad you were there!
|
Members of
Team Glebe from Glebe Elementary School in Arlington showed up in fine style, sporting their Glebe T-shirts on the race course. So fun to have your participation and support!
|
|
Team Harris
was led by board member Hazeline Harris, always rockin' it in her Cat in the Hat attire, while her team rocked it in their Book It T-shirts!
****
Team Kappa members were there to represent and celebrate their sorority. Reading is Fundamental is the Kappa Kappa Gamma national philanthropy. So GREAT to have you there, with honorary Kappa, Clifford, getting in on the act! Stephanie Griffith (l) is a RIF of NOVA advisory board member.
|
|
Team Old Dominion National Bank was led by Chairman and CEO Mark Merrill and Lesley Vandergrift, VP, Retail Banking.
ODNB was a Bestseller sponsor of the Book It 5K. So happy for your sponsorship and your race day participation! Thank you!!!
Thanks, too, to
Healthcare for Women for sponsoring Book It and for putting together
Team Healthcare for Women for race day! Yay!!!
|
|
Pulitzer level sponsor Lynda Johnson Robb, a stalwart RIF of NOVA supporter and advisory board member, was all-in for the fun -- posing here in her Cat in the Hat chapeau and tie -- with her new BFF Clifford! (That Clifford really got around!!!)
|
|
And how about those literary character costumes!
|
|
Does it get more fun than this? The three little pigs and their houses of straw, sticks, and bricks. I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down! So clever!!!
|
|
Board member Liz Promen, a.k.a. Strega Nona, with granddaughters Addison (14) as Clifford and four-year old Anna, proudly sporting her new race participation medal.
|
|
Loved having a "RIF Witch" on site, celebrating so many children's books with witches!!! And that green hair! Zowie! Robin Whitmore, sister of board member Gayle Kelley, was so cute that (fortunately), she scared...exactly...nobody!!!
|
|
Young Tully McLaughlin, age 3, won "Best Boy Costume" for his skeleton ensemble! Grandad John McLaughlin, a Bestseller sponsor, looked pretty dapper in his Cat in the Hat costume!
|
|
Hélène Hanke, age 8, won "Best Girl Costume" for her lightning bolt ensemble. She is in third grade at Arlington Science Focus, and this was -- wait for it -- her FOURTH 5K!!!
|
|
Bestseller sponsor
Team Jonas is flanked on the left by Wonder Woman Casey Trombley-Shapiro Jonas and by Anansi the Spider (and board member) Sheila Jonas on the right. In between (l-r) are David, three-year-old Coplan, and John Jonas! What family fun!!!
|
|
And...how about a few more pics...just because!!!
|
|
Baby Lily brought her cherished cloth panda book and Hungry Caterpillar toy! Mom Keri Thomas says she loves reading but also likes to chew her books from time to time!
****
Below, dad Kendrack Lewis took part in his first 5K because he thought Book It was "for a great cause." Wife Krystal and sons Knight (4) and Knox (6) gave him a gold cup for successfully crossing the finish line!
|
|
Another of our young participants was baby Jonathan, shown with mom Maureen McLaughlin in her butterfly costume! This little "runner" already loves books. As we always say, start reading early ... and often!
****
Below, Team Patrick Henry kids gave the race a thumbs up!
|
|
Baby Emmie loves her new RIF of NOVA book! She is flanked by mom Catie and dad, Rich Confalone, whose company,
Lucky Dog Films, was a race sponsor. Each child at Book It was able to choose a book of his or her own...because, after all, we are all about books and reading!!!
****
Below, this cutie ran the race, too, and got a medal for it! How about reading a children's book about a dog! Here are some ideas from
Brightly and from
Rover. Woof!
|
|
RIF of NOVA Book It co-chairs Lisa Keathley (Waldo) and Justina Johnson (Angelina Ballerina), along with the entire RIF of NOVA board, are so thankful for your participation in Book It For Books...whether you ran, walked, donated, sponsored, volunteered, came in costume, brought your baby in a stroller, organized a team, or just showed up to cheer us on! So many children will have books at home because of YOU!
Every $2.00 you give = one book for a child, and we always welcome your support. Here's how!
1) Send a check to our mailbox: P.O. Box 7012, Arlington, VA 22207-0012.
|
|
3) Register with
smile.amazon.com
. Type in Reading Is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. to select us as the charity you want to support. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to RIF of NOVA.
|
|
Please share the RAP! Forward our newsletter to your friends and anyone interested in providing books to children who need them! Subscribe
here
!
THANK YOU FROM THE RIF OF NOVA BOARD!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
