For years, the annual Queen Anne Fun Run and Queen Anne Day festivities have coexisted as separate events.
That didn’t make much sense to the executive directors of the Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce and the Queen Anne Helpline, Charley Shore and Lisa Moore.
Yard signs for both events would dot the neighborhood, as organizers for each approached potential sponsors with unrelated pitches for their own same day functions.
“It just seemed very inefficient and confusing,” Moore said.
Not anymore.
For the first time, the events are under the same umbrella, with the full day of happenings set for July 15.
“I really think it will bring some continuity to the day, and hopefully will bring the community together to enjoy the whole day,” Shore said.
For Shore, perhaps the biggest benefit is that the combined effort makes the day more recognizable in the community.
“I think that the big part of it is that it unifies … it something where people won’t be as confused,” she said. “I know that in the past sometimes people didn’t know one after the other.”
Shore also mentioned the financial advantages of partnering up.
“When you want to be a sponsor of one or all, it gives you the marketing capabilities as a business or organization or even a private individual to get your advertising on all of that material,” she said.
The fun run — which starts at the Queen Anne Lutheran Church (2400 8th Ave. W.) and follows a 5.5K route around the Crown of Queen Anne before wrapping up outside Frantz Coe Elementary School (2424 7th Ave. W.) — kicks off the day at 8 a.m. as several hundred runners take to neighborhood streets.
“It’s a pretty major event for us, so we really count on the support from the community,” Moore said, noting that it’s one of just two key fundraising events for the organization each year, raising up to $40,000 for the nonprofit’s operations.
But Moore added that the impact of the fun run goes beyond the bottom line.
“It raises critical funds,” she said, “but it also raises awareness of the Helpline.”
The annual sidewalk sale begins at 10 a.m., with businesses along Queen Anne Avenue offering special deals for the occasion.
At 10:30 a.m., the Queen Anne Day festival itself begins with the Kids “Kanine” Parade, which starts outside 1st Avenue West outside McClure Middle School, and loops around the West Queen Anne Playfield.
The festival runs until 8 p.m. at the field, and offers a bit of everything for attendees. This year’s event includes an art walk, car show, live music, carnival games, and pottery demonstrations, along with food trucks and a wine, beer, and cider garden.
To register for the Queen Anne Fun Run, go to www.queenannehelpline.org, or visit the Queen Anne Farmers Market on June 29, July 6, or July 13. Day of registration begins at 7 a.m. on the 15th. Cost is $35 in advance, or $40 day of. Participants are encouraged to register early, with t-shirts available while supplies last.
To volunteer for Queen Anne Day, go to www.queenannechamber.org/test-qa-day/.
For more information on Queen Anne Day, visit www.queenannedays.com.
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