Paul Heinz with Mojo said there were 280 participants last year and $2,200 to $3,000 has been donated to Reach Out Lakota every year from the event.
Heinz got the idea for the Santa suit run after a trip to Las Vegas several years ago.
“I had run a marathon out there and the day before the marathon they had a Santa run and they literally had 4,000 people in Santa suits,” he said. “Vegas is a little bit different, it’s a destination place and the marathon I think had 12,000 people but it was just amazing to see a sea of Santas.”
Registration on race day begins at 10 a.m. and the non-competitive race starts 11 a.m. The event includes pictures with Santa, door prizes, discounts from local merchants, cookies and more. The run begins and ends at the Topgolf facility at 9568 Water Front Drive.
Heinz said he picked Reach Out Lakota — an ecumenical non-profit that gives eligible Liberty and West Chester township residents food, clothing, toys at Christmas and other basic needs — because they are a good cause and they also participate by volunteering their time to the event.
“They’re out there race morning making sure things work well,” Heinz said. “They’ve got some skin in the game.”
Peyton Gravely with Reach Out Lakota said the donation gets them a week or two of meals for their clients and the event is an inspiration.
“”It’s a great end-cap for our organization, it really does cap off the end of the year,” he said. “It truly is that last opportunity for us to come together as an organization, raise some funds to kind of propel us into the following year and gives us a stronghold to go out and secure whatever it is our clients may need.”
Heinz said the weather on Sunday should put runners/walkers in the holiday spirit.
“We’re going to get some Christmas weather this weekend it looks like, it’ll be cool,” Heinz said. “One year we ran it and it was 60 degrees and there were Santa suits all over the course.”
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IF YOU GO
WHAT: Mojo Santa Suit and Ugly Sweater 5K Fun Run/Walk
WHERE: The Streets of West Chester, Topgolf facility 9568 Water Front Drive
WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 11
REGISTRATION: 10 a.m.; race begins at 11 a.m.
COST: Santa suit: $40; Santa beanie: $25; Little Elf T-shirt: $12
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