Lace up those running shoes, because the second annual Queensway 5k Race is coming to the Queen Mary on Thursday, March 28, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Long Beach Rescue Mission and the Assistance League of Long Beach.
“[The race] really started as a way to give back to the community,” said Amy Berner, director of entertainment events at the Queen Mary. “We wanted to come up with ways for the Queen Mary to get more involved with Long Beach, and we thought this would be a wonderful way to do that. And since we are about 5k away from the other side of the harbor, it just became a very natural way to go, [and] you can see the beautiful view of the harbor.”
For last year’s race, the Queen Mary partnered with the nonprofit Ronald McDonald House. For this upcoming race, organizers partnered with more local charities “that might not get a lot of spotlight,” according to Berner.
Ted Hicks, volunteer coordinator for the Long Beach Rescue Mission, said this is the first time that the nonprofit will do a fundraiser with the Queen Mary.
“We are really thankful for the Queen Mary for doing this, specifically for the nonprofits,” he said. “Our relationship [with the Queen Mary] began with gathering donations for our events every year.”
According to Hicks, the Queen Mary has assisted the Rescue Mission with its Thanksgiving food drives, Christmas toy drives, Easter basket giveaways and backpack drives.
“We don’t run off of government funds,” Hicks said. “It’s completely all community-based. So, every single thing that we can do to raise funds will go directly to the operations, ensuring that we have adequate amounts of food, hygiene items [and] clothing items for our guests that are coming in from the community, but also for our programs.”
Hicks also said the Long Beach Rescue Mission offers two different programs.
“The first being [a] 90-day short term shelter situation, and the next would be a one-year program,” he said. “The one-year program is the one that is the most costly, and […] we are supplying our one-year program members [who are experiencing homelessness] with everything that they need.”
This will also be the first time the Queen Mary has partnered with the Assistance League of Long Beach, according to JoAnn McDonald, president of the nonprofit.
“[The proceeds] will go very specifically to our programs,” McDonald said. “Now, we have 11 programs, and […] the two signature programs are the Orthodontic Program and Operation School Bell. All those programs go toward strengthening our community. So, anything that we get from this 5k run will support one of those 11 programs.”
Berner said the Queen Mary expects a much larger crowd than last year and hopes to continue growing the event more every year.
“We try to put a lot in the event so that every year people want to come back,” she said. “We are a ‘happy hour’ 5k. We start off [in the evening] after work on a Thursday. It is already past Daylight Saving [Time], [and] the sun is up, and it’s just a beautiful evening. People can walk along the harbor. The view of the course [by the ocean] is stunning.”
Participants will receive a completion medal, a T-shirt, on-site parking, a post-race beverage, food tastings and admission to the Queen Mary with their race registration.
“We are really appreciating the support of everyone on the ship to make this happen,” Berner said. “[The race is] really meant to bring the community together.”
Race registration costs $40 per person, ages 4 and above. Children ages 4 and below can participate for free. Team discounts are available for groups of five or more
using the promo code “TEAM.” Race registration ends at 3pm on Thursday, March 28.
