Civic Stadium’s parking lot typically welcomes spectators headed to track meets, soccer matches and baseball games. On Sunday, however, onlookers and competitors gathered in the summer heat for the fifth-annual Family Promise of Whatcom County Bed Race.
The event, put on by Family Promise of Whatcom County, an Interfaith Coalition program, raised money to help families and children experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County.
Event director Konrad Kocsis, who has been involved with Family Promise of Whatcom County since its inception five years ago, said this year’s event raised about $12,000 by the time the final beds rolled across the finish line.
Carolyn Roy sits on the bed of team No Crabby Days before the start of the semifinal races in Civic Stadium’s parking lot on June 26. No Crabby Days, the team representing Family Promise of Whatcom County, won the finals race. (Cassidy Hettesheimer/Cascadia Daily News)
“We have over 1,000 children in Whatcom County that experience homelessness,” Kocsis said. “So the Interfaith Coalition adopted this national program, Family Promise … to work specifically with families that have children, and they give them stable housing and provide groceries for them, so they can save money to get into their own housing.”
Four teams, each racing a decorated bed, fundraised money for Family Promise in the lead-up to the race. At the event, spectators could also contribute to the teams’ fundraising and purchase kettle corn and baked goods with proceeds going toward the organization.
Team All A-Board, representing Interfaith Coalition’s board of directors, raised the most money out of the four teams, with $2,038.
“I love seeing other organizations that are working in the fight against homeless in Whatcom County coming out and supporting each other, having a fun time doing it and being able to raise funds and work towards a common goal,” said Carolyn Roy, program director for Family Promise who also rode on the bed for team No Crabby Days.
All A-Board competes in its semifinal race in Civic Stadium’s parking lot on June 26. Based on three heats of races for each of the four teams, the teams competed in two seeded semifinals for a spot in the final race. (Cassidy Hettesheimer/Cascadia Daily News)
The competing teams first went head-to-head against one another in three races each. Four pushers corralled a wheeled bed and its rider around the 100-yard, U-shaped turn marked with flags and cones. Race results determined seeding for the two semifinal races.
Beach-themed team No Crabby Days, representing Family Promise, and “Guardians of the Galaxy”-themed team Guardians of the County, representing Guardian Security, competed in the finals. No Crabby Days came in first as the checkered flag waved.
“Fast, smooth, fast,” Roy said of the team’s strategy around the curved track. “We wanted to go fast down the straightaway and made sure nobody broke any ankles or anything and we didn’t tip over, right around the corner, then we just booked it at the end.”
Members of the Bellingham Community Band perform before the Family Promise of Whatcom County Bed Race event at the Civic Stadium parking lot. The band performed the national anthem and other upbeat tunes during and between the races. (Cassidy Hettesheimer/Cascadia Daily News)
The fourth squad, HOT Team, represented the Opportunity Council’s Homeless Outreach Team and pushed a bed decorated with bright-red flames.
This marked the first year the event fell in the summer, versus its typical September date. Kocsis said the earlier date was to help avoid rainy weather and the busy start of the school year. The sun did shine bright on Sunday, with small groups of spectators watching the races from the shade of tents and the parking lot’s trees — the scenery of “Civic Downs,” as emcee Dan Johnson called the racetrack.
“Great enthusiasm this year,” Kocsis said about the event. “I think the sun helped bring that out. A fun outdoor event. It went really smooth — it’s good to have some volunteer support to help put the pieces together.”
