In honor of this year’s World Oceans Day next Saturday, the Roundhouse Aquarium is inviting fellow ocean lovers to celebrate the occasion with a 5K run along the beach.
“We liked the idea of a fun run because it’s outside on the beach by the ocean,” said Valerie Hill, co-director at the Roundhouse, located at the end of Manhattan Beach pier. “Our primary reason for being is to educate people about the oceans, so there’s no better setting than the beach.”
The inaugural Fun Run fundraiser will kick off at 9:30 a.m., starting at the Manhattan Beach pier and proceeding up to the north end and back. Participants will enroll in one of six divisions, grouped by age and gender, and have a chance to win first, second or third place prizes in their divisions.
Prizes include gift baskets, a body board, dinners, fitness club memberships and gift certificates. Following the run, there will be a raffle as well as activities hosted by the Roundhouse.
At $35 per person for registration, proceeds will go toward keeping Roundhouse programs and its aquarium afloat while helping to continue its mission of education visitors of all ages about the oceans, marine life, the environment and the human impact on the environment.
“If we don’t continually try new ideas to gain more donors, our programs will suffer,” Hill said. “We have an annual budget to keep the aquarium running and our programs going. Since we don’t receive government funding, all our funding is from corporations, foundations and community members.”
She added that the Fun Run is part of the Roundhouse’s efforts in attracting a different contingent of the community to spread its “ocean conservation message” while expanding its donor base.
“We really appreciate all the support we get from community members,” Hill said. “We have hundreds of people who donate each year to keep the Roundhouse alive, and we don’t want to continually ask the same people for donations.”
Registration, open until the day of, is available at the Roundhouse, iRunMB, Village Runner or online at roundhouseaquarium.org. For $35, entrants receive a T-shirt, water, refreshments and a chance to win prizes.
