from the President, Kennett Run
Kennett Run awards $66,000 to community
Kennett Run 2019: Run like it’s 1989!
Kennett Run course map
The annual Joe Hector PoweRun
2019 Kennett Run sponsors
2018 Kennett Run
2019 Schedule of Events
The Kennett Run: Through the lens of Heat Party in the Park
2018 Grant Award recipients
Kennett Run Charities
We invite you to join us for the 30th Annual Kennett Run on Saturday, May 11, 2019. This tradition began in 1989 when Kennett Run Charities was established by local individuals and community service groups. Since then, it has been our privilege to promote the general well-being and civic betterment of Kennett Square area residents and organizations.
Why do we do this event each year? We do it to raise funds for our local nonprofit organizations and to improve the health of our community. Since 1989, Kennett Run Charities has made grants totaling more than $1 million to organizations that support the needs of the people of Kennett Square. In 2018, we made grants totaling more than $66,000 to more than 50 nonprofit organizations. Proceeds from the Kennett Run go directly back into our community. In addition to fundraising, our volunteers have helped with maintenance and redevelopment of Anson B. Nixon Park and many community enrichment programs. Kennett Run Charities has made a significant financial commitment to Anson B Nixon Park for major road and trail improvements. This year we are working on improving rain and water runoff from the parking lots to improve the quality of the roads and trails in the park. As a CPA who does audit and tax work with many local nonprofits in the area, our funding helps support the nonprofits current and long term needs and programs.
We are ready for another successful event this year. Race Director J.J. Simon and his team will have the same course that will showcase the Downtown Kennett Square business district. Race day activities include the 10K and 5K runs and the popular 10K and 5K PowerRun and the 1 Mile Run/Walk. The course map is included in this publication and available at www.kennettrun.net. For our future runners, we will have 1 Mile Kids Fun Run around the Anson Park ponds.
This year’s 10K will be run in honor of long-time Kennett Run
competitor John Schultz, who tragically passed away on November 17, 2016, after being struck by an automobile. John ran the 10K course for many years wearing his signature red shorts and no shirt. We will miss him dearly.
Many nonprofit community organizations will have information tables in the park on race day. Stop by and learn how you can support your community!
This all-volunteer community event is planned, organized and staffed by hundreds of volunteers, including members of the Rotary and Lions Clubs, Boy Scouts and local high school students. Robust community involvement makes this event even more special.
We are very grateful for the support of our corporate sponsors and race day vendors. With their loyal financial support, this event has been a “win” for the Kennett Square community year after year. Please stop by and see them in the park.
We extend our deepest appreciation to East Marlborough Township, Borough of Kennett Square, Kennett Township Police Officers, Borough of Kennett Square Public Works , Kennett Fire Company, Longwood Fire Company and their EMS staff, and Anson B. Nixon Park. The event runs smoothly and safely, thanks to their hard work. When you are running or walking on race day, please give them a big “thank you” – we could not do it without them.
A very special thank you to Karen Scherer, from the Borough of Kennett Square, for assistance and guidance over the years with completing the permit applications for race day and approval by Borough Council.
A moment of inspiration creates a lifetime of change. Do something to promote better health and register today for the 2019 Kennett Run.
See you on race day!
B. Christopher Daney, CPA, MBA, MST President, Kennett Run Charities • www.kennettrun.net
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
On the morning of May 19, along the muddy and rainy trail of this year’s Kennett Run – a day more reserved for hibernating than for running – hundreds of participants in this annual Kennett Square tradition made their way past a supportive community that had come to cheer them on.
Several high-fives were exchanged, and chants of encouragement were heard from Walnut Street to State Street to Anson B. Nixon Park.
If the fi rst wave of the mission and purpose of the Kennett Run is defi ned by these moments, then it’s the race’s second wave that completes the entire circle of a concept, begun nearly 30 years ago, that has given more than $1 million back to
the community it supports.
On Oct. 11 at the Genesis Healthcare atrium lobby, 44 Kennett-area service organizations were the recipients of $66,000 in grants from Kennett Run Charities, Inc., which was topped by a $15,000 grant to Anson B. Nixon Park Road and Trail Project, that will go toward landscaping, paving and drainage improvements in the park.
The gift-giving ceremony served to showcase the three key goals of the Kennett Run:
• The achievement of sustainable camaraderie among Kennett area service organizations and citizens, and the fostering of an esprit de corps among the ethnically, economically, and occupationally diverse groups that comprise the community.
• The establishment of a fundraising vehicle that would net ever-increasing
sums for expenditure to promote the general well-being and civic betterment of Kennett area residents, organizations and projects; and
• The showcasing of the town of
Square and its environs by drawing participants and spectators from the region, the nation and perhaps even the world.
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Continued from Page 6
Held this past May in a steady rain, this year’s Kennett Run will be held on May 11, and wrap its theme around Mother’s Day Weekend.
“These funds have an immediate and positive impact on the entire Kennett Square community” said Kennett Run Charities, Inc. President B. Christopher Daney. “We appreciate the respect that people continue to have for the Kennett Run, and what our board, our volunteers, our local police and fire departments and the Kennett Borough have done to put together a safe race.”
Kennett Run Race Director JJ Simon said that sponsorships of the event play a huge part in funding levels.
“Kennett Run Charities was able to raise more funding than last year, despite the fact that we had poor weather on race day, and it was because of being able to acquire more sponsors,” he said.
While Kennett Run Charities always attempts to make fair and equitable contributions to as many organizations as possible each year, some distributions are made to help a particular service group make it through tough times. When members read that Camp Dreamcatcher was the victim of a flood that had destroyed over $9,000 worth of supplies this year, the organization – which offers a safe community for children coping with HIV/AIDS – received a $1,000 contribution from Kennett Run Charities.
Ask any member or volunteer with the Kennett Run and they will say that preparation for the next
year’s race begins soon after the end of the current year’s race. Planning now for next year is no exception: The 30th annual Kennett Run will be held on May 11, 2019, and its theme will wrap itself around Mother’s Day weekend.
Simon said that the date was chosen from a usually busy Kennett-area event calendar.
“We originally considered holding the 2019 Kennett Run the Saturday after Mother’s Day Weekend, but we found that doing so would overlap with several other events in town, such as the Girls on the Run race and the Tough Mudder, a two-day event in Unionville,” he said. “We felt that having the race one week earlier would not have those conflicts, and we’re also hoping that the date would bring in more competitors.”
“We intend to come up with a mother-and-daughter and family type of run, in a way to have families involved with the race,” Daney said. “The closer we get to January 1, when the registration for the 2019 race becomes available on our website, we’ll very likely have a more solid agenda, regarding next year’s theme.”
To learn more about the Kennett Run and its Kennett Run Charities, Inc., or to have your organization be considered for a grant in 2019, visit www.kennettrun.net.
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty. com
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
In 1989, the World Wide Web was invented, although it took years before most fully understood how it worked. Brick by brick, the Berlin Wall came down, and the cultural phenomenon that would later contribute to our vocabulary – a television program known as “Seinfeld” – was first aired.
In 1989, runners paced around tracks, pathways and roads wearing headbands and brightly-colored attire, resembling extras in a VCR fitness video.
In 1989, a small group of enterprising leaders in Kennett Square began talking about starting a running event that would raise annual funding for dozens of local organizations. Now, 30 years and more than $1 million in funding later, the Kennett Run, in preparation for its 2019 race on May 11, recently decided to go back in time.
In celebration of the special anniversary of the race – which was first run on April 21, 1990 – the Kennett Run organizers created a marketing campaign called “Run like it’s 1989,” that celebrates not only a long-gone era, but honors those whose commitment to their community has become an annual Kennett Square tradition.
The mastermind behind the idea was Kennett Run Race Director JJ Simon, who kicked off the theme in January at the Kennett Area YMCA, during early registration for this year’s event.
“As we were signing people up, I kept remarking that people should be dressed like it’s 1989, and so we brought in some music from the period to hype up the theme, as well,” he said. “It was a big success, one that was appreciated by everyone from the 50-year-old dad to the 8-year old girl. So I thought, ‘Let’s make this our theme, get out our old headbands and tube socks and go completely retro.”
With the assistance of Two Stones Pub and Fig Industries, Simon and Board members Becky Devestine, Steve McManus and Gail Chase posed for a photograph in the cloak of the period, and the marketing campaign was underway. (The campaign advertisement appears in the Spring 2019 edition of Fig Kennett.)
“The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that I wanted to promote the theme to everyone involved,” said Simon. “Since the start of the campaign, I’ve seen three or four other running events in the area whose themes are also diving into the past. Many of us – the Baby Boomers and the Gen-Xers -- are
getting nostalgic for those pre-internet and cell phone days.”
While the campaign has a little fun at the expense of some past fashion faux pas, it’s also a nod toward the Kennett Run’s origins, and those who were responsible for making the annual race a reality, said Kennett Run Charities President B. Christopher Daney.
“The Kennett Run brings out local runners and walkers, but it also raises the awareness of the many non-profit organizations and the work they do for so many people,” Daney said. “It’s also reflected in what we as an organization do as our primary mission – to give back to those organizations, and subsequently, our community.”
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com
In ceremonies held at the Genesis Healthcare atrium lobby on Oct. 11, 2018, Kennett Run Charities, Inc. awarded nearly 50 local organizations more than $66,000, which included a $20,000 grant that went toward trail improvements in Anson B. Nixon Park that included landscaping, asphalt paving and the elimination of erosion and drainage problems. Kennett Run Charities President Christopher Daney gave a lot of credit to Kennett Run volunteer Mark Piacentino, who worked with a local contractor to engineer the project.
“Anson B. Nixon Park is a focal point of Kennett Square, and it’s used all year round by so many people and events, so it gets a lot of wear and tear,” Daney said. “The trail project was something that Kennett Charities really wanted to put its time and effort into, in order to make the park safer for runners, walkers and anyone else who visits there.
“One can go out there now and see these improvements. This is our way to give back to the community.”
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019 - CHESTER COUNTY
The annual Joe Hector PoweRun, a separate event run by the Kennett Area YMCA, is held in conjunction with the Kennett Run 5K and 10K races, and it’s become a big part of a continuing Kennett Square tradition.
The PoweRun biathlon involves skills of strength and endurance, measured by a combination of weight-lifting and distance running. Men and women 14 and over are eligible to compete. This event will be held in Anson B Nixon Park this year, between 7:00 & 8:30 a.m.
The weight that men and women are responsible to lift is as follows:
Men
Age 14-18 - 60% of Body Weight
Age 19-29 - 100% of Body Weight
Age 30-39 - 100% of Body Weight
Age 40-49 - 100% of Body Weight
Age 50-59 - 100% of Body Weight
Age 60-69 - 60% of Body Weight
Age 70+ - 60% of Body Weight
Women
Age 14-18 - 60% of Body Weight
Age 19-29 - 60% of Body Weight
Age 30-39 - 60% of Body Weight
Age 40-49 - 60% of Body Weight
Age 50-59 - 60% of Body Weight
Age 60-69 - 60% of Body Weight
Age 70+ - 60% of Body Weight
For each successfully completed repetition, in any/all gender and age groups, will result in a 30 second deduction for the 5K and/or a 60 second deduction for the 10K.
The lower the score the better. Some winners may even score into the negative numbers! Awards will be given to top two overall men and women in 5K & 10K runs.
Awards to the top two men and women in each race for the following age categories:
14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
Weighing In:
All participants must weigh in at the scales provided. Participants will leave their shoes and shirts on. No deduction will be taken for clothing. Participant’s lifting weight will correlate to bodyweight as calculated by the judges.
No warm-ups on weight bench. (Other benches provided for warm-up.) Collars must be used. Bar must touch chest on every repetition. Arms must be FULLY extended at the end of each repetition (If you have a physical limitation that prevents you from straightening your arms, you must inform the official before you start lifting). Once the bar ceases to rise or begins negative movements, the spotter and/or judge will end the session. Back and hips must remain flat on the bench at all times. Any arching or moving which causes the hips to come off the bench will result in the termination of the attempts. The number of repetitions prior to the hips coming off the bench will be used for the PoweRun© calculations. Feet are to remain in the same position throughout the bench press, either firmly on the floor or planted on the bench. A pause of more than 3 seconds either at the top of the lift or the bottom of the lift will trigger a warning from the official. If movement doesn’t occur immediately thereafter, the number of repetitions done to that point will be used for the PoweRun© calculations. Grip placement left to the discretion of the competitor. Once the repetitions have been initiated, the grip cannot be changed. The judge’s ruling is FINAL. No appeals will be allowed.
The sponsorship of area businesses make the Kennett Run happen. The thousands of participants who enjoy this year’s events can thank all of the 2019 sponsors who support their community:
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
The rain that fell on Kennett Square during the morning of May 19 was unrelenting and at times, pelting, but no one seemed to inform the 600 competitors at the 29th annual Kennett Run that rain generally dampens the spirit. It didn’t.
Instead, much like children at a mud puddle, runners emerged from protective tents at Anson B. Nixon Park, lined up at the start of the 5K and 10K, and proceeded to frolic along a course that scissored its way through the park and along State Street in downtown Kennett Square, and back again.
For Christopher Daney, the president of Kennett Run Charities, there was never a doubt that Kennett Square’s most popular race was going to go off without a hitch. He and local police had spent the early morning examining the course, which they said was suitable for running.
“It was going to be rain or shine,” Daney said before the race. “Runners are going to run, rain or shine or snow or wind. They’re going to get wet, but they’re going to have
fun.”
From a field of 165 runners in the John Schultz Memorial 10K race’s men’s division, Joshua Hibbs of Philadelphia won with a time of 32:23; and was followed by Darryl Brown of Eaton, 34:06; and Andrew Hinrichs of Reading, 35:50. In the women’s division, Kimberly Cary of West Chester finished in first place with a time of 40:52, and was followed by Leigh Manning-Smith of West Chester, 41:21; and Athena
Manolakos of Wilmington, 44:05.
Kent Hall of Kennett Square finished first in a field of 402 runners in the 5K mens’ division, with a time of 16:12. He was followed by Gavin Maxwell of Kennett Square, 17:29; and Tim Garver of Downingtown, 17:47. In the womens’ division, Abby Dean of Philadelphia won with a time of 18:50, followed by Sara Damiano of Austin, TX, 20:24; and Kennedy Zednik of Downingtown, 23:28.
In the annual Joe Hector PoweRun biathlon’s 5K competition, Oscar Galvan of Plymouth Meeting beat out 24 competitors, and was followed by Jorge Maldonado of Lincoln University and Devid Elsen of Vienna, Va. In the women’s division, Jessica White of Landenberg finished in first place, followed by Jennifer Abracht of Kennett Square and Loretta Perna of Kennett Square.
In the 10K event that had a field of 18 entrants, Jesus Juarez of Lincoln University finished in first place, followed by Micahel Perna of Kennett Square and William Granche of Ridgeway, Pa.
Nova Timing Systems again served as the official timer for the Kennett Run.
For as many runners that compete every year, the Kennett Run is known for an equal number of stories, told by competitors who choose to run for specific reasons. As he limbered in the rain just prior to the start of the John Schultz Memorial 10K Run, Christopher Kratz, a member of the Kennett High School track team, was joined by his mother, Lisa, whom he invited to join him.
“She’s been so supportive of me over the past five years, since I began running competitively in the
eighth grade,” Kratz said. “She’s come to every race of mine, and when she said to me, ‘I want to run a race with you,’ I thought that we’d run together at the Kennett Run.”
“The last time I ran competitively was in 1982, when I was a junior in high school,” said Lisa, who competed in the 5K race. “My kids are my inspiration. Otherwise, I would be at home on the couch, watching the Royal Wedding. Chris is my role model, because he was the slowest kid in creation when he was younger. He used to run the bases in Little League and we’d be yelling at him to run faster.”
The Kennett Run also served to highlight causes again this year. Ruth Ann Deveney, Tiffany Lahn and Becky Minder each wore dresses through their race, in recognition of the Dressember Foundation, an organization that raises awareness,
action and funding to end human trafficking around the world. The foundation’s main event for Dressember is a challenge to advocates to wear a dress every day during December, but this year, the foundation hosted a 5K event in Los Angeles on May 20.
“The foundation is encouraging advocates, wherever they are, to participate in races,” Deveney said. “We’re wearing dresses in the race as conversation starters, about how human trafficking is unfortunately very prevalent around the world, but that everyone can do something to make a difference, in small ways.”
For a complete list of all finishers in each competition, visit www. kennettrun.net/results.
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty. com.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019 - CHESTER COUNTY
For the last several years, the Chester County Press has poised its cameras at the Kennett Run in an attempt to capture in photographs what this race has come to mean to the community who has run the course, walked the course, or supported the Kennett Run since it the first runners hit the starting line on April 21, 1990.
The Chester County Press joins everyone in thanking Kennett Run Charities, Inc. for its continual dedication to achieving the simple goal of its original mission: To give back to the community it serves. We dedicate these photographs as a document still in motion, that supports an annual tradition that is only just starting to run.
Continued on page 24
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019 - CHESTER COUNTY
Continued from page 23
For many of the hundreds of runners who cross the Kennett Run finish line at Anson B. Nixon Park, their first activity is likely be to head to the refreshment table for water or fruit, but if a quick shot of protein and liquids will serve as one kind of replenishment this year, then the music provided by CBM Productions is certain to kick start not only a lot of tired competitors, but everyone else who will enjoy the Party in the Park festivities after this year’s race.
With a set list of over 100,000 family-friendly songs spanning 50 years of music and a heavy calendar of events, there is a good chance that nearly every one attending this year’s Party in the Park has been entertained by CBM Productions. Headed by Dr. Chris McGrath, CBM Productions has become a familiar presence at events from Philadelphia to Wilmington to Chester County and beyond. From bridal showers and weddings to fundraisers and high school dances, CBM provides lighting and music for all occasions.
The following businesses and organizations will have information tables and booths at the Party in the Park on May 11:
Anchor Life + Fitness
Bavarian Motorsport CCRES
Century 21 Pierce & Bair
Fitchett Chiropractic Center
House of Vacuums
Hunter Acupuncture
Kacie’s Cause
Orange Theory Fitness –Glen Mills
QFIX
ServPro of Kennett Square/Oxford
Sinton Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc.
Terry Lynn’s Critters
The Body Protocol
Upland Country Day School and many more!
$2,000 and up
Kennett Area Community Services – Food Cupboard
Kennett Area Park Authority – Anson B. Nixon Park
Kennett Consolidated School District WIN Program
Kennett Area YMCA
Lions Club of Kennett Square
Longwood Rotary
Rotary Club of Kennett Square
$1,500 - $1,999
Avondale Fire Company
Garage Community & Youth Center – Kennett Square
Garage Community & Youth Center – West Grove
Good Neighbors, Inc.
Kennett Fire Company No. 1
Longwood Fire Company
Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company
Tick Tock Early Learning Center
$1,000 - $1,499
Adult Literacy Program, Kennett Library
Camp Dreamcatcher
Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, Inc.
Domestic Violence Center of Chester County
Family Promise of Southern Chester County
Kacie’s Cause
Kennett After School Association
Kennett Area Senior Center
La Communidad Hispana
Wings for Success
Young Moms
$500-$999
Brandywine Red Clay Alliance
Chester County Arts Association
Community Volunteers in Medicine
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pa. - Brandywine Service Unit
Historic Kennett Square
Kennett Education Foundation
Kennett Flash
Kennett Unionville Band Boosters
Living Bridges
Maternal and Child Health Consortium
Meals on Wheels of Chester County –
Avon Grove Chapter
Oxford Area Neighborhood Services Center
Spanish Health Ministry
The Barn at Spring Brook Farm
Unionville Chadds Ford Education Foundation
Youth Community Forward
$250-$499
Family Service of Chester County
KATS Inc. Pantomine
The Kennett Run Charities Board of Directors is made up of volunteers from various Kennett Square service organizations, including the Rotary Club of Kennett Square, the Rotary Club of Longwood, the Lions Club, the Kennett Area YMCA and various Kennett area citizens who make the Kennett Run a successful, fun event for serious runners and families.
2017-2018 Officers
President – B. Christopher Daney
Secretary – Becky Devestine
Treasurer – Norman A. Quynn
Race Director – Jean-Jacques Simon
Board of Directors
Mardette Alexander
Christien Bass
Gail Chase
Dave Chopko
B. Christopher Daney
Becky Devestine
Michael Elling
Bob Merkle
Thomas P. Neale
Michael R. Perna, Esq.
Norman Quynn
Dr. Albert J. Schmitt
Emily Thomas
Ray Woodward
Race Directors Emeritus
Michael R. Perna, Esq.
James P. Schulz
Aaron J. Martin
Gregory Scott
R. David Harrison
Ray Cornell
Robert A. Blackhall
Christopher J. Bailey, Esq
James Frezzo, Jr.
Jenny Armitage
Patti Walker-Wein
Richard Fitch
Steven Hoffman ......................Managing Editor
John Chambless .....................Staff Writer
Richard L. Gaw .......................Staff Writer
Alan E. Turns ..........................Advertising Director
Helen E. Warren .....................Advertising Executive
Teri Turns ...............................Advertising Executive
Amy Lieberman ......................Advertising Executive
Tricia Hoadley .........................Art Director
Diane Blanche Stirrat ..............Graphic Design
Brenda Butt .............................Office Manager
Arlene McGoldrick ..................Copy Editor
Race Directors Emeritus (cont.)
Thomas P. Neale
Leonard C. Bieberbach
Al Iacocca
Nadiene Ringler-Friedrich
Past Presidents
Michael R. Perna, Esq.
Donna L. Hood
Dominic F. Perigo
Steve J. Evans
Edward C. Lick
Christopher J. Bailey, Esq.
Matthew J. Grieco
Daniel R. Kohler
Dr. Albert Schmitt
Leonard C. Bieberbach
Matthew Genereux
