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...On Your Mark, Get Set - Race The Rock Returns
The Annual Community Scavenger Hunt
Don’t be alarmed if you see people in funny costumes riding bikes around town, shopping in the grocery stores, or walking dogs on September 20. The third annual Race the Rock, community scavenger hunt race full of silly challenges and friendly competition, is returning to Coronado this fall with 100 participants set to compete. Race the Rock’s mission is to raise money to support local schools, their students, resources, and programs.
The event will begin at noon, with the race running from 1:00–2:00 p.m., followed by an award ceremony for first-place contestants and best costume winners, and an after party from 2:30–4:30 p.m.
Race the Rock began when Liz Merrill, owner of Sweat Circuit and B Long Pilates in Coronado, discovered a love for The Amazing Race, a reality television show where teams travel the globe completing challenges as they race to the finish line. Merrill recreated her own version while living in Seattle as a scavenger hunt for family and friends, and the event was such a hit that she was encouraged to continue the tradition after moving to Coronado.
Originally held in May, Merrill moved the race to September this year because the slower pace of the season made it a better fit, she said.
Each year has followed a specific theme.
This time, it’s centered around being a Well-rounded Child, focusing on Coronado students’ physical, mental, and scholastic health. Merrill incorporated three organizations as beneficiaries: the Islander Sports Foundation (ISF), which supports Coronado High School (CHS) athletics by funding equipment and coaching needs; Coronado Schools Foundation, which raises money for programs like STEM and the arts; and Safe Harbor Coronado (SAFE), which provides counseling, education, and prevention programs to promote youth and family wellness.
“All of the theme’s aspects play a vital role in building the foundation for healthy kids and setting them up for success,” Ashley Degree, the CEO and President of CSF, said.
Kris Collins, the President of ISF, noted that the aspects align with the heart of the organizations. “I really like the theme because that is what we all focus on right now,” she said. “Merrill has chosen the right organizations to work together because we work so closely within the schools already to help support the kids and students to be successful. Without these organizations, they may not have [the same opportunities].”
Participants enroll in pairs, forming a total of 50 teams, and are encouraged to wear costumes and come up with a team name. They ride their bikes from station to station to compete in various activities. Stations in past races have included taking cold plunges, learning cheers with CHS cheerleaders, kayaking, riding surreys, playing “fish out of water” games, being timed to buy items from the grocery store, building cup pyramids, playing golf, tennis, or corn hole, and even walking someone else’s dog.
Merrill said the biggest challenge of organizing Race the Rock is less about logistics and more about safety. “It’s about making sure to keep people safe and that everything gets executed the way it’s supposed to,” she said.
Race the Rock has partnered with a variety of businesses across the island to make this event possible, including B Long Pilates, Bungalow 56, Coronado Concierge, Nicky Rottens, Park Life Compass Real Estate, Sweat Circuit, and the Kato Family. To raise money, tickets are $315 for returners and $350 for new participants. The enrollment closed last week.
Another fundraiser that Race the Rock hosted this year was “flamingo flocking.” For a donation, a team of volunteers secretly planted flocks of pink plastic flamingos in the night across the lawns of last years’ participants. They added a sign that said, “You’ve been flocked!” The flock only disappeared once the homeowner bought a ticket to participate, donated to have them removed, or paid it forward by sending the birds to someone else’s yard. The money goes straight back into supporting the race.
This year’s event is projected to raise $100,000 for the three beneficiaries. Each organization has plans for the funds they will receive.
“The money raised for CSF will go directly to fund STEM & Arts learning opportunities for our students and classes like Innovation Lab, Robotics, Broadcast Journalism, Band, Computer Science and Ceramics, just to name a few,” said Degree. “We are so lucky to be one of the original beneficiaries and we are thrilled every time [Merrill] continues to support us.”
ISF is currently in the process of purchasing new uniforms for over twenty sports teams, from the middle school to the high school. The funding received will go towards athletic equipment and scholarships for three CHS seniors and “those who are in need of assistance to play at the middle school level. What our main objective will be with this money is to see what’s missing with our sports teams because they are becoming more and more competitive,” Collins said. “I am very thankful that Merrill chose ISF as one of the organizations because sports are very near and dear to my heart. I appreciate that she sees the value in our organization because it means a lot.”
The proceeds also will go towards Safe Harbor’s youth prevention programs, including early education classes like Turtle Time (teaching young students self-regulation through the story of Tucker the Turtle), Pause Power for grades 5–8 (helping kids connect emotions to physical responses and learn coping skills), as well as Wellness Wednesdays and internships for high schoolers. Danielle Maske, Executive Director of Safe Harbor Coronado, said, “We are going to direct the money right to our youth program [because] the fees we currently receive for all of our prevention programs only cover less than half of the cost of running them.
“Safe Harbor Coronado is excited and honored to be one of the beneficiaries of this year’s Race the Rock, alongside the Coronado Schools Foundation and the Islander Sports Foundation. We are deeply grateful to Liz and Nick Merrill, the Race the Rock organizers, for their vision and devotion to Coronado’s kids and families, and to the sponsors and participants for creating such a joyful event that uplifts our entire community while supporting programs that strengthen and inspire Coronado’s youth and families.”
Although the enrollment is closed, if you sponsor $1,000 or more, you can still participate in the race. Participants can visit racetherockcoronado.com
Merill said she continues to put on the event each year because she loved “seeing the community come together for a day of fun. It is a unique Coronado event put on by local businesses and residents to benefit the kids of our community.”
