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Sports Backers Blog

Volunteering (and Running) Runs in the Family

Glen Allen resident Elizabeth Woodward believes that the family that volunteers (and runs) together stays together, and they'll be demonstrating that at this weekend's Anthem Richmond Marathon.

By: Nan Turner


Elizabeth Woodward and her family love being active together. They’ve participated in the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, the National Duathlon Championships and the Anthem Richmond Marathon multiple times over the past six years. However, they haven’t always been running the races – they’ve been volunteering.

“It’s been great,” Woodward said. “I don’t think we really appreciated it until recently when we volunteered at a nationally known race. Sports Backers is great at keeping you informed and cared for and fed. It’s so different; you feel appreciated by the staff and the individuals running the race.”

While it varies from year to year, Woodward, her husband Denton, and children Ryan and Anna, routinely donate their time to helping out at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k and the Anthem Richmond Marathon.

At times the family will run in the races and events they enjoy volunteering for.

“The first time my daughter, she’s now almost 14 years old, finished the 8k I was working at the finish line and I got to give her a finisher medal,” Woodward said. “That was really fun.”

The Woodward Family

This year Denton will actually be running the marathon, something he hasn’t done for several years.

“My husband had been running the full marathon, and then he settled into the half marathon for a variety of reasons,” Woodward said. “This year he decided to give the full one more shot so it’d be great to be able to give him his medal.”

One of the biggest allures of volunteering for Woodward is the opportunity to spend some time with her family while doing something to benefit the community. Usually the family tries to sign up for a job together or in the same event area.

“It’s something we can do together,” Woodward said. “There isn’t any training or preparation; it’s just four to five hours that we get to spend time together. We always come as a group and it’s important to help out where you can, especially in the lives of people who are trying to stay fit and active.”

Woodward’s experience has been so positive that she encourages others to help out. She has not only enjoyed her time at Sports Backers events, but any time she has worked with the organization as a whole.

“We’re so appreciative of the organization,” Woodward said. “We all owe it to other people to help where we can. Being active together is something we love, and we believe in focusing on lifelong fitness. The work Sports Backers does is important to that lifestyle.”

For more information on how you can volunteer with Sports Backers visit www.sportsbackers.org. We are still looking for volunteers for the Anthem Richmond Marathon on Nov. 10.

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