Findlay Schools Clothin' Trojans 5K is back

FINDLAY — Findlay City Schools is hosting its 9th Clothin' Trojans 5K on April 27 at Bigelow Hill Intermediate to raise funds for Clothe-A-Child, Inc., a nonprofit providing underprivileged children with clothes in Hancock County. Founded by a group of Findlay teachers, the 5K began as a way to support kids in need in the area. "We noticed that we were taking more kids than the other schools," said Kristin Hudok, an organizer for Clothin' Trojans. "We thought we needed to do a fundraiser to help offset those costs. At that point, my son and I were running 5Ks because that's what he liked to do, and I thought how hard could it be to do a 5K, so we started there." Over the years, the number of runners has decreased. In the early years of the 5K, the event had more than 100 participants, now roughly 50 individuals participate in the event. But Hudok said though less individuals participate in the 5K, the community supports Clothe-A-Child through other Clothin' Trojans initiatives, such as its online raffle basket event. During the week before the race, more than 58 high-end baskets will be up for grabs. "The first couple years we've had quite a few runners," said Hudok. "Then with any 5K, it's kind of dwindled a little bit, but our raffle baskets really helped offset the number of runners." All proceeds from the 5K and raffle baskets directly benefit Clothe-A-Child. The nonprofit organization has supported nearly 6,000 children in the community since 1992, helping an approximate 500 children in Hancock County and surrounding areas each year. The children supported are identified by Open Arms Domestic Violence Center, Hope House and local school districts. The 100% volunteer-run organization provides each child with about $250 to shop for clothing at local department stores. For every dollar raised, Kohls department store matches. Hudok said she is hoping to raise $10,000 this year during the Clothin' Trojans event. Having secured $2,800 in race registrations and scholarships already, she hopes to collect $3,500 in funding from the race and another $5,000 to $6,000 from the raffle baskets. "Every penny that we raise goes to the Clothe-A-Child program. Recently, they've been able to add middle school and high school kids, they used to just do the elementary kids," said Hudok. "The more money we raise, the more kids we can take." 5K participants are encouraged to either walk, run, bring pets or push strollers. For those wishing to run, a Van Buren coach will volunteer to time the event. A one-mile Fun Run will also be available for more casual walkers and children. The Fun Run begins at 2 p.m. with the 5K starting at 2:30 p.m. There is no end time for either race. Cost to register in the race is $10 for the Fun Run without a t-shirt, $15 for the 5K without a t-shirt, $15 for the Fun Run with a t-shirt, and $20 for the 5K with a t-shirt. Raffle baskets include a variety of different items and themes such as movie night bundles, Toledo Zoo passes, gift cards, local winery and brewery bundles, gym memberships and more. Baskets are valued at $100 to $300. The raffle will be open for bidding on April 19 and will end at noon on April 26. The raffle can be found on the Clothin' Trojans Facebook page. For those who cannot attend or participate in the raffle, donations are always accepted for Clothe-A-Child and can be given via the race registration page. The nonprofit is also always seeking volunteers to help the kids shop during the holiday season.