Press Release: Charitable Partners Announced for the 2019 Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run

The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Foundation has announced their charitable partners for the 2019 Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run. This year’s list includes charities from Rhode Island and the surrounding area. To date, the Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run and the RITBA Foundation have donated close to $700,000 to non-profits through this event. In 2018 alone, the event raised a combined total of $160,000 for nonprofits, between direct Foundation grants and fundraising by charities and teams. The event is produced by local event management company Gray Matter Marketing and has won the “Best of Newport” award for three years in a row under the charitable event category.

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the RITB Foundation, Citizens Bank and all of our local sponsors in producing this excellent event,” says Matt Gray, President of Gray Matter Marketing. “Each year, the Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run continues to get better and better, from larger charitable impact to more participants. It’s inspiring to watch runners and walkers come together to support these great causes, and to celebrate the iconic Newport Pell Bridge’s 50^th Anniversary year.”

“Boys Town New England is honored to have been chosen as a charity partner for the Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run, especially in the 50^th Anniversary Year,” says Elizabeth Rose, Donor Relations Specialist at Boys Town New England. “We are looking forward to bringing our youth, team, and supporters together for a fun race weekend, and we are grateful for the opportunity to use this event to build a bridge with our local community and share more about the work we are doing to help children and families right here on Aquidneck Island.”

“Girls on the Run RI is very excited to be a community partner for this year’s Citizen’s Bank Pell Bridge Run,” says Jacklyn O’Hara, Executive Director at Girls on the Run Rhode Island. “As a young women’s empowerment program that uses running to build confidence in our girls, we are always excited to be part of the larger running community in the state. Being a community partner will help us leverage funds and awareness to continue to create access for all girls in our program.”

The 4-mile run/walk on October 20th, 2019 takes pedestrians from Jamestown to Newport, Rhode Island over the iconic Newport Pell Bridge. This year’s Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run is a proud part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations for the bridge.

Starting at 5:30 AM on October 20^th, runners and walkers will be shuttled from the Newport Visitors Center to the race start line in Jamestown. Participants will be assigned to specific shuttle times. The race itself will begin at 7:15 AM, with participants broken into waves based on pace. Runners and walkers will follow a course on and over the bridge, taking in the sunrise and the stunning fall vistas that the run/walk is known for. They’ll finally descend from the bridge on to Farewell Street, finishing back at the Visitors Center on America’s Cup Avenue.

The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority Foundation grants funds to local and regional organizations with the proceeds generated the Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run. The Foundation partners with local communities and nonprofit organizations that positively impact the lives of Rhode Islanders, and charities are chosen by the Foundation’s committee after an open application period.

Registration for runners and walkers is open at www.pellbridgerun.com. Local businesses interested in event sponsorship can reach out to [email protected] for information.

Charitable Beneficiaries for the 2019 Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run:

Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta

A Wish Come True

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center

Special Olympics

March of Dimes

Girls on the Run Rhode Island

Susan G. Komen

Rotary Club of Jamestown RI

Fanconi Anemia Research Fund

Child and Family Services

Boys Town New England

Middletown Youth Football and Cheerleading

Clean Ocean Access

Hasbro Childrens Hospital-Cystic Fibrosis Unit

Womens Resource Center

Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center

Sail to Prevail

Newport Gulls

Ocean State Waves

Salvation Army

Boys Scouts, Troop 1 Jamestown

Sojourner House

Newport County YMCA

Jamestown Cub Scouts Pack 1

Samaritans

Lucy’s Hearth

Boys and Girls Club of Newport County

Day One

Payton Elizebeth Watson Memorial Foundation

Looking Upwards

Star Kids

Daffodillion