The Long Beach Neighborhood Foundation (LBFN) donated funds to seven youth-led organizations during an event held at Buono’s Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach on Sunday, Feb. 6.
“We really appreciated that we were able to apply and receive a check in the first place,” said Nisha Patel of Polytechnic High School’s Key Club. “And we’re really happy to be recognized.”
Funds were raised through the Wrigley River Run, an annual community event held by LBNF that was postponed in recent years due to the pandemic.
Beneficiaries included Renaissance High School’s Modeling Club, Polytechnic High School’s Key Club and Long Beach Neighborhood Foundation Club, Cabrillo High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NJROTC) Club, Garden Grove High School’s Make a Wish/Widows and Orphans Club and Helping Hands Club and The Charismatic All-Star Youth Group from Pasadena.
The groups were each given $500 checks that will help them afford musical supplies, competition entry fees, club spirit wear, magazine publication, homeless care packages and charity donations.
While all youth-led groups are welcome to apply, groups that volunteered or participated in the Wrigley River Run get priority when funds are distributed, according to neighborhood foundation co-founder Gavin McKiernan.
The event was canceled altogether in 2020, and in 2021 LBNF was unable to get assurance that they would receive a permit for the Wrigley River Run by its usual date in June.
LBNF pivoted and held a Halloween-themed run in October 2021, with participants running in costume.
“It was a great event, but not being at our normal time of the year and with lots of other events going on this fall, our numbers were down a little bit so we didn’t raise quite as much money as we usually did,” McKiernan said.
The Wrigley River Run was started in 2007 as a way to bring philanthropy and community spirit to the Wrigley neighborhood of Long Beach.
“We wanted to do something that was family-oriented and positive for the community,” said Danny Amat of LBNF. “[…] Most of the events are either downtown or on 2nd Street, nobody would ever do it in the west side.”
Frank Buono, owner of Buono’s Pizzeria, has been a long time participant and sponsor of the Wrigley River Run, watching it expand over the past 15 years.
“I remember when it first started it was like 500, 600, 700 runners,” Buono said. “I think we currently have 2,500 runners.”
In 2022 the Wrigley River Run will return to its regularly scheduled time during the first weekend of June, with all proceeds benefiting local community organizations.
“I want to invite both the Wrigley neighbors and the entire city of Long Beach to come and join us, come and visit Wrigley,” Buono said. “See what a wonderful neighborhood it is.”
