Not running it….but if you want to, the Fresh Air fund still has some spots available for runners on the Fresh Air Fund-Racers team. The Fresh Air Fund provides runners with guaranteed entry in exchange for fundraising before race day. Over the past four years as a NY Road Runners charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon, 335 Fund-Racers have raised close to $400,000 for The Fresh Air Fund!
In addition to “fund-racers”, the Fresh Air Fund is also looking for host families this summer. Friendly Town host families are volunteers who live in the suburbs or small town communities. Host families range in size, ethnicity and background, but share the desire to open their hearts and homes to give city children an experience they will never forget. Hosts say the Fresh Air experience is as enriching for their own families, as it is for the inner-city children. There are no financial requirements for hosting a child. Volunteers may request the age-group and gender of the Fresh Air youngster they would like to host. If you’re interested, you can read stories about real Fresh Air host families and their New York City visitors are here.
THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2010, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fund’s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year.