EAST LONGMEADOW — Nonprofit East Longmeadow Educational Endowment Fund will be hosting its Spartan Sprint 5K and Kids Fun Run fundraiser on Sept. 22 at The Depot at Graham Central Station on 64 Maple St.
The event will be open for registration at 8 a.m. with the Spartan Sprint officially beginning at 9 a.m. and a 9:45 a.m. start time for the Kids Fun Run, ELEEF stated. Pre-registration is also available online.
Unlike previous years, the races will begin and end at The Depot at Graham Central Station, as a result of the current construction at East Longmeadow High School, ELEEF member and School Committee representative Aimee Dalenta told Reminder Publishing. She highlighted that the owners of Graham Central Station were “very gracious” to allow this for the fundraiser.
Prior to the day of the competition, the cost for each runner is $30 with the price increasing to $35 on the day of the race. Runners under 18 require a $15 admission fee for both pre-registration and registration on Sept. 22, Dalenta said.
For any residents who are interested in participating in the event without running the race, a place in the Injured Reserve Tent is available for $100. This option allows residents to support the event while mingling with others, such as for family members of runners, Dalenta stated. This option is not required for viewing the race.
After the event, a ceremony to honor the top three runners of the Spartan Sprint will take place at 10 a.m., Dalenta said. Water and fruit will also be available at the event.
All funds raised at the event will go towards supporting students at East Longmeadow Public Schools. Each year, ELEEF awards teachers at all five schools grants of varying amounts to support programs that are not funded by the school system, Dalenta said. The organization was created in 1995 with the goal of improving education offered by East Longmeadow Public Schools and hosts events every year to raise funds.
Grant applications are selected by a committee within the ELEEF based on the requested amount and whether the application meets the nonprofit’s requirements, Dalenta explained, emphasizing that the organization works to fund as many grants as possible.
She noted that donating money to support East Longmeadow students and teachers is “a priority” for the nonprofit and that the objective was to fund all qualified grants when able, supporting students at different grade levels.
Past grants have been used to support the purchase of software, library resources, social and emotional supports, STEM programs and science equipment, ELEEF stated.
In addition to donating to events or to the ELEEF directly, residents and business can also sponsor events. To sponsor the Spartan Sprint, groups should contact Kristina Conant by Sept. 12, the organization stated. Conant can be reached by email at eleefsecretary@gmail.com.
Sponsorship levels include platinum at $3,500, gold at $1,500, silver at $500 and a table sponsor at $250. Each level comes with corresponding benefits for the sponsorship, according to the nonprofit.
Anyone interested in donating directly to ELEEF can visit eleef.org/donate for additional information on how to support the organization. For more information about the Spartan Sprint or to register for the race, visit eleef.org/events/spartan-sprint-5k.
