Press release submitted by Karen's Closet
Non-profit organization Karen’s Closet, which provides new clothing and school supplies to financially-struggling Leominster public school students (K-12), has opened the registration for their 2018 5K race on https://thedriven.net/karenscloset5k. It will take place Sunday, Oct. 28, at 12 p.m. at Columbia Tavern, 28 Manning Avenue in Leominster.
The organization will use all profits from this event to fill the “Karen’s Closet” at each public school in the city. Those that register by October 19 will receive a tech t-shirt. The team at Karen’s Closet is grateful for the support of Gregg Lisciotti of Lisciotti Development, sponsor for the 5th year in a row, and to Andy Rome and Wayne Beauregard of Columbia Tavern. These wonderful gentlemen will buy every registered runner (over 21, of course) a beer at the finish line.
In the spirit of the season, costumes are highly encouraged. The costume with the most likes on Karen’s Closet’s Facebook page will win a prize!
Karen’s Closet is named in honor of Karen DeCisero, whose life was marked with unimaginable accomplishments despite the constant challenges that her Down Syndrome and heart defect presented. Organizers started with the goal of providing public school students in need with new winter coats. They recognized quickly that a coat was just the beginning in addressing a much greater, more complex issue – how financial troubles negatively affect a student’s interest in, and performance at, school.
“Financial hardship should never be an obstacle that keeps students from succeeding, but it can. It can affect their focus on their studies, interaction with peers, their attitude toward trying, and interest in attending school every day – whether in kindergarten or high school,” says founder Phil DeCisero. “The assistance helps provide them with things they need, but new clothes and supplies also instill confidence when they are in vulnerable situations.”