18 March 2015

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Media Contact Information:
(not for publication)

Keith Peters, Credit Union Cherry Blossom Media Coordinator
307-690-6803 or [email protected]

Website: www.cherryblossom.org

March 18, 2015, Washington, DC: Event organizers of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run – The Runner's Rite of Spring – announced today their pursuit of gold certification from the Council for Responsible Sport for this year's event, which will be run on Sunday, April 12. The Council offers independent verification of an event's positive social and environmental practices and benefits, looking specifically at initiatives in the categories of responsible planning and communications, procurement, resource management, access and equity, and community legacy.

"The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run has long had a commitment to social and environmental responsibility," said Race Director Phil Stewart. "This will be the third time we've pursued certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, and we rely upon that biennial process to quantify the improvement we strive for on an ongoing basis."

What follows is a partial list of sustainability initiatives being undertaken this year:

• Social media campaign to increase awareness and engagement of race participants, volunteers and spectators in key aspects of the event's sustainability plan, particularly recycling and composting, and using METRO to get to and from the Health and Fitness Expo as well as the race itself.

• Partnership with Two Wheel Valet to provide bike valet parking services at the Health and Fitness Expo and on race day.

• Concerted effort to greatly reduce printing, including pre-race newspaper (PDF) and post-race results (PDF), complete elimination of printed entry forms, and use of virtual goodie bag technology to provide sponsor access to participants before, during and after the race.

• Partnership with NativeEnergy to offset the carbon footprint of race operations.

• Strategic changes to the waste collection system to improve diversion of waste from landfill from 52% in 2013 to 75% or better this year. In addition to traditional composting and recycling efforts, greater attention is being paid this year to "upcycling" hard to recycle items like the Heatsheets blankets provided to runners to keep them warm post-race.

• Partnerships with Teens Run DC and Fit Kids to enable greater youth participation in all events - Ten Mile Run, 5K Run-Walk and ½ Mile Kids' Run.

• Collection and donation of used running shoes at the Health and Fitness Expo as well as clothing discarded at the start of the race to local charities.

• Donating left over food to DC Central Kitchen.

• Supporting and promoting DC-area businesses.

Race participants are encouraged to visit the Sustainability Booth at the Health and Fitness Expo to learn more about how to participate in the initiatives outlined above.

Since 2002, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile and 5K Run-Walk have raised over $6.5 million for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, and a significant portion of that sum has been raised by Charity Race entrants.

The 2015 event will mark the 14th year of title sponsorship by Credit Union Miracle Day.

About the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile:

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom is known as "The Runner's Rite of Spring" in the Nation's Capital. The staging area for the event is on the Washington Monument Grounds and the course passes in sight of all of the major Washington, DC Memorials. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, a consortium of 170 premier children's hospitals across the United States. About one-third of the funds raised support Washington, DC's own Children's National Medical Center ("Children's Hospital"). The event also funds two $5,000 Road Runners Club of America "Roads Scholar" grants designed to support up-and-coming U.S. distance running talent.

Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc., a consortium of credit unions and credit union suppliers, is the title sponsor of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run and 5K Run-Walk. PSCU is the lead financial partner of Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc. Supporting sponsors include New Balance, Gatorade, Gold's Gym, Navy Federal Credit Union, Larabar, BAE Systems, E-Trade, MarathonFoto and Potomac River Running.

The event is a proud member of the PRRO Circuit (www.PRRO.org), a five-race non-marathon prize money circuit with events in Utica, NY; San Juan, PR; Washington, DC; Spokane, WA; and Atlanta, GA. The circuit is committed to a drug-free sport and engages USADA to conduct drug testing at all circuit events.

www.cherryblossom.org 

About the Council for Responsible Sport:

Our vision is a world where responsibly produced sports events are the norm.

Our mission is to provide objective, independent verification of the socially and environmentally responsible work event organizers are doing, and to actively support event organizers who strive to make a difference in their communities. The current version of the Council’s Certification standards (v.4.2) was developed by an outside working group of both sustainability and sport industry experts, reviewed by a wide range of stakeholders throughout 2013, implemented in January 2014, and updated in January 2015.

Since 2008, the Council has worked with events worldwide including Olympic Trials, World Championships, big city marathons and small town fun runs. We have certified over 100 events, with over one million participants and countless spectators. As such, we are recognized as leaders in the sport and sustainability movement.

www.CouncilforResponsibleSport.org