Filling in the Blanks will kick off their 4th annual Unite to Fight 5K. The race will be a virtual event again this year allowing runners and walkers to participate anytime, anywhere between April 25 through April 30. The race seeks to build community and raise funds for Filling in the Blanks to fight childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekends.
Since the pandemic’s start last March, food insecurity rates have skyrocketed and 1 in 4 children is now food insecure. Specifically in Connecticut, 53,000 more children became food insecure in 2020. Most will get breakfast and lunch from school every weekday, but many will go from Friday lunch until Monday at breakfast without a decent meal. Filling in the Blanks is an organization that fills in those weekend gaps by providing each child in its
program with a backpack filled with healthy food for the weekend. When the obstacle of food insecurity is removed, children experience increased academic achievement in school and increase opportunities for success in their lives.
Founded in 2013 by two Fairfield County residents, Tina Kramer and Shawnee Knight, Filling in the Blanks is a 501c3 non-profit organization that has grown from serving 50 kids to serving more than 3,000 kids in Fairfield and
Westchester counties. Filling in the Blanks partners with 65 local schools delivering their Weekend Meal Bags to food insecure children in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, and Westport in Connecticut and Bedford Hills and Mt. Kisco in New York.
As a small nonprofit, Filling in the Blanks has been able to pivot to meet the growing food demand quickly. The Unite to Fight 5K run/walk event will raise valuable funds to help Filling in the Blanks restock their inventory, allowing them to continue to be a resource families can count on-feeding local children in need. To learn more
about Filling in the Blanks and how they are fighting childhood hunger in your community, visit fillingintheblanks.org. .
This year’s race has been generously sponsored by the following local businesses who are committed to helping in
their communities:
• The Sigg Team, a local luxury properties specialist team in New Canaan
• Karp Associates Inc., a leading home building and renovation firm in Fairfield County
• Gardiner & Larson Homes, a custom design-build firm in New Canaan
• New Canaan Pediatric Dentistry, providing pediatric dental services to the New Canaan, Stamford, Wilton, Norwalk and Westport areas
• The Brothers Painting Services, providing expert painting and home improvement services in Fairfield
County
• Fleet Feet, Westport, a leading, locally owned and operated source for all things running
We hope you can join us at Unite to Fight – not only to run this 5k but to support Filling in the Blanks in the fight
against childhood hunger.
To register or donate please visit www.fillingintheblanks.org/events