When one of the missions in your life is to secure funding for a cancer wellness and support center, you leave no stone unturned.
Keith Fenimore watched one of his young children complete a local 5K last year, heard that proceeds from the event went to a local charity and the light went on.
The New Hope native, who founded the Pine2Pink breast cancer charity organization in Doylestown several years ago, later went on to create the Kin Wellness and Support Center in Furlong to help local cancer patients.
It didn’t take long for Fenimore to formulate a plan: He would put together a 5K of his own.
A phone call to Bucks 5K Series director Dick Patterson, who was looking to fill a vacancy in the annual seven-race schedule, sealed the deal.
And so the new Be Kind 5K and one-mile fun run, scheduled for Saturday, April 15 at Holicong Park in Buckingham Township, was born.
“Dick asked if I would like to join,’’ Fenimore recalled during a recent interview at Kin. “I said that would be fantastic.”
The genesis of Pine2Pink and Kin starts close to home. His mom, Marianne, is a breast cancer survivor and his grandmother was taken by the disease before Keith had a chance to know her.
Pine2Pink was a big success and paved the way to Kin.
“We raised a lot of money doing great things and keeping the money local,’’ Fenimore said. “Through that organization, a woman named Corinne Sikora (who died of cancer in 2020) had the idea for what is now Kin.”
According to Fenimore, Kin takes care of all cancer patients, through treatment and recovery in Bucks County, along with caregivers. It’s all provided free of charge.
More than $300,000 has been raised in a short amount of time.
“We have over 250 people that we care for,” Fenimore said. “Fifty practitioners and instructors. Since we’re a one-hundred percent donation funded, it’s up to me to raise money to keep Kin’s lights on.”
Holicong Park is the perfect venue for the new race. It has miles of paved trails and a great view of scenic hills and fields.
“I think the platform of the 5K and the one-mile fun run is going to be tremendous,” Fenimore said. “What I wanted to bring to our race is a sense of community and empowerment. I want people to run, to walk, to jog, to do whatever they want to do to participate in order to honor, inspire or support someone who has gone through cancer or is currently going through cancer.
“The way I’m envisioning this are people in groups of family and friends as sort of all in it together. Yes, we’re going to have our die-hard runners and that’s fantastic but I also feel like there’s going to be a real strong sense of community bonding with this particular race.”
Sponsors who wish to help out can contact Fenimore via this address: Keith@welcometokin.org.
Title sponsor for Be Kind 5K is LBK Design Build. Other major sponsors include Jarrett Vaughn Builders, Scott Payne Custom Pools LLC, Thompson Detail Center, Evolution Candy, Club Pilates, ELA Outdoor Living and Suburban Autoworks.
Patterson, who’s been at the helm of the Bucks 5K Series for its 27-year history, is pleased to have the Be Kind race on board.
“Keith is truly amazing at what he accomplishes, he gets the job done,” Patterson said. “I was delighted to hear from Keith because I knew a lot about him and the Kin Center. To get a seventh race, and for it to be his race, is just incredible.”
The Bucks series title sponsor is Advanced Spine and Sports Medicine, owned and operated by Johnny King-Marino, the longtime outstanding athlete and racing entrepreneur who is president of the Bucks County Roadrunners Club.
“He (King-Marino) has been a strong supporter of the series all these years,” Patterson said. “And Gert Freas, our communications director, has been a big part of our success.”
The 2023 Bucks 5K Series schedule:
>Blaze of Glory 5K — Saturday, March 25, 9:00 a.m.
>Be Kind 5K – Saturday, April 15, 9:30 a.m.
>Bookin’ for Lookin’ 5K – Sunday, April 30, 8:30 a.m.
>YMCA Bucks County Strong 5K – Saturday, May 6, 9 a.m.
>Doylestown 5K – Saturday, May 27, 9:30 a.m.
>Chalfont Challenge 5K – Saturday, June 3, 8:30 a.m.
>Break-Fast 5K/10K – Sunday, June 18, 8:30 a.m.
>Race calendar
Sunday, Feb. 26
Bucks County Roadrunners Club Winter Series Staggered Start 4.6-Miler, 9 a.m., Tyler State Park, Newtown. Contact www.bcrrclub.com
