Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1018028
WEEKLY EDITION AUGUST 22, 2018 PAGE 4 The cost is $20 per person, which includes a T-shirt and various promotional items from event sponsors – or as some say, good old SWAG. For some of the Members who participated last year, any initial misgivings were wiped away immediately. "I think that people didn't know what it was going to be, then it became special," says Martin Zeltner of Five Peaks, who is the EI Committee's other chair. "It became a great way to team-build and to bring people together." Last year, according to Lindy Boehme of CPACEX Solutions and the Urgent Run chair, planners were hoping for about 25 participants, but 58 actually registered and most, if not all, participated. This year, Boehme says she hopes to double the number. For Zeltner, Boehme and Corrigan, the camaraderie is important, but not the only aspect that makes the event so appealing. It is, after all, raising money that goes to charity. "It's for a wonderful cause," says Boehme, "and we can give back to the community." This year there are two charitable causes benefitting from the run/walk. The first, like last year, is the Friends of Ngong Road (FoNR), which is the parent charity operating Karibu Loo in Nairobi, Kenya. FoNR assists children whose families who have been affected by AIDS – namely by helping them complete their schooling, which is virtually impossible in that country without help. Karibu Loo is a portable restroom operation that helps fund FoNR and provides employment opportunities for program graduates. This year the PSAI's Urgent Run/Walk will also be benefitting Rise Tampa Our Police Foundation, which is a local police foundation that uses donations to purchase extra training for officers and extra equipment for the department. The foundation also does community outreach and funds after-school programs in Tampa's most crime-challenged neighborhoods, among many other things. "Aside from Karibu Loo, we wanted to give to something local in the community," says Corrigan, whose business operates on the Gulf Coast of Florida and recently got the news that a Fort Myers officer had been lost in the line of duty. All three note that the event raises the profile of the portable sanitation industry. "We also get a little exposure," notes Boehme. "There's a misconception about what we do, and we truly believe that we can raise awareness of the portable industry." Zeltner agrees. "The Urgent Run is something that allows us to raise awareness of a different demographic," he says. But ultimately, it's about fun for members, getting out, moving around, and getting to know each other for the first time or a little bit better. "I'm excited about Tampa," says Boehme. "Every time I go to a PSAI function, it's not like a function at all. It's like a family reunion." --gr A Run in the Sun for a Good Cause and Fun ANDERSON URGENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1