Now is the time for us to come together... by staying apart.
Now is the time for us to help local non-profits which have seen their donations decrease when the needs in our community are greater than ever.
Now is the time for us to Stay Strong!
During this time of isolation, join together with runners and walkers all over the country in supporting their local charities and organizations.
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THIS EVENT BENEFITS:
The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) over the past 38 years has grown into the nation’s leading resource for grassroots environmental activism; a ground-breaking, progressive organization with a vision for clean, safe, green neighborhoods and communities.
Most community leaders who call CHEJ for assistance are low-wealth, African American, Latinx, and white, living near sources of chemical and industrial pollution.
COVID-19 has hit poor communities of color hard and communities near chemical pollution, even harder. There are thousands of communities where pollution continues unabated, Sacrifice Zones, places where the health of residents is permanently sacrificed to industrial contamination.
Run for Clean Air
In March the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they will no longer monitor air pollution or take enforcement action at industrial sites across the country. EPA’s decision to look the other way is terrifying.
Today, according to health authorities, black and brown people are both getting sick from COVID-19 and dying at a higher percentage than the rest of the population. There are many reason for this disparity, including living in a place where the air is polluted. Breathing pollution everyday results in people being more vulnerable to respiratory disease and COVID-19.
Run for Clean Air is one way CHEJ is educating the public about this problem and raising funds to support our No More Sacrifice Zones Campaign. This is a national campaign with the goal of changing both policy and industrial practice around how much pollution industry can put into the air.
Today our efforts are focused on forcing EPA to put back in place the pollution monitoring and enforcement programs. Community leaders are already reporting more pollution, darkened skies and increases in respiratory problems. Families must stay home because of COVID-19 but their homes are not safe due to the industrial pollution.
Our No More Sacrifice Zone Campaign works with vulnerable communities, local governments and industry to find solutions to clean up the air. CHEJ believes it is possible to have a good economy and a clean, safe environment.
We invite you hear more from front line community leaders on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG-k2_OoNpI
100% of your race entry fee goes to
The Center for Health, Environment & Justice!
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
REGISTER FOR THE RUN!
Register for the run online for a $10 donation fee (plus processing fees).
OPTIONAL SWAG PACKAGE
If you'd like something to remember your race, we've partnered with the Runners Stay Strong Virtual Race Series to offer our participants a "Swag Package" that includes a T-shirt, custom race bib, and silicone wristband. The package is just $15 and includes shipping* anywhere in the continental US.
*please note that there are premiums added for XXL and XXXL sizes, and the swag package prices are $24-$29 for Canadian registrants. Orders placed by 11:59 pm on Sundays will be shipped the following week.
GET READY TO RUN OR WALK FOR YOUR CAUSE!
Once you're registered, click the button below for full instructions on how the IYR Virtual Run Program Works:
Registration for this event will close on June 28th at 10PM EST. All registrants must run their virtual race by 11:59PM on June 28th. After that, time submissions will no longer be posted to the results
