Santa Monica 5000 raises cash for athletes

Sam ReamerStaff WriterThe sixth annual Santa Monica 5000 brought athletes, students, parents, teachers and citizens across the Santa Monica-Malibu area together to raise money for their favorite Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) sport or athletic program.The Santa Monica 5000 took place on Oct. 2, 2011 with a majority of the race on Ocean Avenue. Runners had the option of running a 5k, 10k or 2.7k dash.“The event was fantastic. It was fabulous. A large segment of our community­ — the Santa Monica community and school community — was there. Just to see that celebration of athletics was really, really neat,” Samo Athletic Director Daniel Escalera said.The money raised from the event will benefit the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation and, more specifically, SMMUSD athletics. According to Escalera, the revenue from the racer registration fee will be divided into four parts: 50% going to the event organizer, 25% to the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation (SMMEF) and 25% to the SMMUSD sports team or athletic program of the runner’s choosing. People also had the option to make separate donations that would fully go to the SMMUSD sport or athletic program of their choice.Escalera believes the money raised in the Santa Monica 5000 will allow sports teams to focus on playing instead of team fundraising.“It takes the pressure off the coaches to fundraise by centralizing their efforts into one event,” Escalera said. “The purpose is that instead of having a bake sale, three to four car washes, or selling American Apparel we can get out there and exercise while at the same time get people to sponsor us.”Freshman water polo player Dash Dobrofsky enjoyed his experience at the Santa Monica 5000 — except for the actual running of the 5k.“It was pretty fun, donating money is always good for the schools. I’m not a big fan of running, but heck, I’ll do it for the schools,” Dobrofsky said.However, Dobrofsky added that he would rather have run the Santa Monica 5000 directly on the beach instead of overlooking it on Ocean Avenue.“It’s a nicer setting, nicer view, you don’t have to run along streets and it’s safer because there are no cars. It gives you a better vibe and makes you want to run more,” Dobrofsky said.Samo parent and runner of the 10k Pam Goodman was pleased with the setup of the event along with its location.“It is a great way to run through the city of Santa Monica while being able to enjoy running along the ocean. I got to run with my friend Tony and run my first 10k through my own neighborhood,” Goodman said. “I thought the end was great with the cheerleaders, the announcer and the crowd — it motivated me to go faster.”Samo librarian and 5k walker Dana Bart-Bell enjoyed seeing the Santa Monica Community together raising money for SMMUSD athletics. Bart-Bell also thought that events like the Santa Monica 5000 set good examples for students.“The experience was amazing. It was an awesome opportunity to join together with students, parents and community members under the direction of the [SMMEF] and get fit while raising money for our athletic programs. I think it’s good to model involvement and model fitness for our students and hopefully that will carry through the school year,” Bart-Bell said. “My favorite part was seeing everyone both from the barely out of bed slowly walking students to those who were blazing past me.”sreamer@thesamohi.com