Enviro racing is an exciting and unique event coming to Venice
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
>Heather Butcher
Enviro Racing A unique upcoming event in Venice that was supposed to take place in May of 2020 but due to COVID was canceled. Our upcoming event is a zero waste 5k running race that will take place right down Venice Ave in downtown Venice. We are rescheduled for 2021 and the new date is set for Sept 12th. We were hoping this story would be of interest to you and you’d want to get the word out as it will be the first zero waste race in the state of Florida right here in downtown Venice.
The Cause: A race for zero waste. Soon the City of Venice, Florida will welcome the Enviro Race 5k. Hosted by Suncoast based non-profit Enviroracing, the first of its kind event in the Sunshine State will include much of the fun that a typical run features while working to prevent the typical environmental impacts. All for a good cause. www.enviroracing.com
The Difference: Making the 3.1 mile run eco-friendly by going zero waste. The typical running event ends with thousands of pounds of single use plastic water bottles and other non-recyclable trash. The impacts causing unnecessary harm to the planet. The Enviro Race 5k is kicking items like plastic water bottles and wax lined paper cups to the curb. Instead, a multi use water filtration system will be used where runners will receive a custom silicone pint cup when they cross the finish line. Which incidentally can be used at the beer tent so there again, no single use plastic cups. The aid stations on the course will be equipped with 5 gallon water jugs for filling 6 oz reusable silicone cups from Hiccup Earth, a newly established St Pete based environmental company. These cups will then be picked up, sanitized and reused. Each participant receives a T-shirt made from recycled plastic and organic cotton as well as sustainable ink. Race bibs are recyclable and there will be a bin provided to drop them off at the end of the race. We have constructed large compost bins so that we can compost any food waste as well as napkins and other items that typically end up in the landfill.
The Benefit: Enviroracing will donate proceeds to Suncoast Reef Rovers. The non-profit organization provides environmental aid and coastal stewardship by working to clean up waterways. www.suncoastreefrovers,org. Our goal is to choose a different local environmental charity each year in order to give back to our local community.
The Time & Place: The Enviro Race 5k will be held in downtown Venice on Sunday September 12th, 2021 at 7:30 a.m. The run will start and end on Venice Avenue and include the city’s famous canopy tree lined road and runners will enjoy a closed race course along the inside lanes of Venice Ave. Following the family friendly run will be a post race party in Centennial park which will include food, live music, and beer. Compost containers will be provided for any food waste. Runners will enjoy both vegan and non vegan breakfast burritos wrapped in compostable parchment paper compliments of Venice’s very own Sharky’s. Custom environmentally themed tile awards hand painted by Garden Elementary school children will be given for top 3 finishers in each 5 year age increment. Register, donate, volunteer, or find more information at www.enviroracing.com. Please join us as we race to save our planet!
As local, national and world wide triathletes and runners, we have seen far too much waste produced at competitive events. Our mission is to be the example of how public events can be more environmentally responsible and also to help race directors do better with their events. 2 years ago we brainstormed with other local race directors but ultimately we were told it couldn’t be done. So we decided to prove it could in fact be done. We started a 501c3 environmental non profit called Enviroracing Inc., and we set out to put on Florida’s first ever ZERO WASTE RACE. We built industrial compost bins with an aerator system to support food waste as well as compostable plates/utensils. We found someone to bring a water station down from Georgia and a small company in St Pete who provides reusable silicone cups for the aid station! We have several awesome local sponsors who have generously donated to our event in order to do their part of raising awareness for reducing waste at public events. We will also have a shoe drop for old unwanted shoes that we will send away to be donated or used as playground material. Our race shirts are made with rpet (which is recycled plastic) and organic cotton, fair trade and sustainable ink! And for our awards, we have Garden Elementary students creating custom environmentally themed tiles so we are inspiring these young children to be environmentally aware. We have not advertised in anyway that produces waste. We have thought of it all (we think!)
Now we just need to get the word out to make it as successful as possible!
On Aug 10 we are traveling to Tampa to film on Gayle Guyardo’s tv show. But we are in Venice and want Venice to get the word out!
We hope you’ll help.
“Increase your foot steps, decrease your foot print!”
Sincerely,
Mariryan Heschmeyer, D.O.M, A.P (my real full time job as an acupuncturist)
Heather Butcher (full time job is personal trainer and triathlon coach)
Heather Butcher (full time job is personal trainer and triathlon coach)