Not your typical 5K; Participants run in wedding dresses to raise money for Good Shepherd
NEW GLOUCESTER (WGME) -- Coolidge Family Farm held an unofficial road race on Sunday to raise money for Good Shepherd Food Bank, but with a twist. The race named "The Running of the Brides 5K" encourages runners or walkers to wear a wedding dress.
“It’s a tie in with the wedding venue," Event Coordinator Misty Coolidge said. "It just made sense to have something correlated with that and who doesn’t want to dress up in a wedding dress?”
Coolidge has been working to fight hunger for as long as she remembers. She is a volunteer at the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn and participates in pageants with fighting hunger as her platform.
"Right now as the U.S.A. United Service Ambassador, I'm actually traveling the country working at different food banks across the country," Coolidge said. "So I was in Omaha, Manhattan, Hollywood and I am on my way to Vegas next week."
Coolidge plans to hold a race every other year and finds that most people are willing to wear a wedding dress while participating; even men, like Allyn Genest.
“I am feeling great and it’s the first time I have had a dress on, a wedding dress and I am really happy to do this for my friend," Genest said.
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Genest has participated in 526 races and said that "The Running of the Brides 5K" is the oddest of them all.
“I enjoy making people laugh. I enjoy having fun. I enjoy life and I enjoy people and whatever comes along," Genest said.
Bates College Students, Cassidy Meyer, Claire Barlass and Maggie Amann participated in the race after hearing about it on Facebook.
“I thought of course Maggie found a 5k in wedding dresses and then I was super excited to come and run in a wedding dress," Barlass said.
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They all agreed running in a wedding dress would not be easy.
“We’re gonna do a light jog," Meyer said.
“We weren’t intending on being very fast," Barlass said.
“I think I’m gonna have to use more arm muscles to hold this up than I usually would," Amann said.
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The event raised nearly $500 and Coolidge said although that does not seem like a lot, every dollar counts. That is because every dollar feeds a family of three.
“Especially with the holidays coming up, with Thanksgiving and Christmas, I really wanted to give back to my community and families in need," Coolidge said.
