Our very first virtual race, in October, raised more than $6,200 to support our vital work of connecting people with nature. Plus, it was a lot of fun!
So, on May 23rd, Running Wild is back—with a new challenge, a new Ambassador Animal team, and the same PWC passion.
Enter: Running Wild 2.0
We created our Running Wild virtual race as a safe, fun way to involve everyone: to engage folks all over the world who like to be active, be outside, and—best of all—support nature and wildlife.
What makes Running Wild special and unique?
First, it supports our vital work. Funds raised from Running Wild registrations will be used to sustain PWC.
Second, we’ll provide interactive data to all the participants. This event isn’t simply “register and get a T-shirt”—although you do get a cool T-shirt!
Get ready! Running Wild registration opens at the end of March. We're working hard to set up our new virtual race site and promise to keep you posted.
How It Works: A Truly Cool Virtual Race
We designed Running Wild as a totally inclusive event and experience. This is what makes Running Wild stand out from other virtual races. From May 23rd to 30th, participants will submit self-recorded activity distances with smartphones, smart watches, or fitness apps. You can walk, jog, run, bike, hike, swim, roller skate, or even kayak!
Everyone will be on an Ambassador Animal team. Data analytics will show everyone in near-real-time which team is winning. Healthy competition greatly encouraged! Will Team Edgar outsmart the others to claim first place, or will Team Apollo swoop in for victory? We’re so excited to find out!
The top team wins an Owl Bomb, one of our most popular and beloved virtual events. Yet no matter which team ends up on the podium, everybody wins. Because Running Wild supports PWC’s mission to connect people and nature.
What’s New and Improved
Running Wild 2.0 is the same cool concept with some even cooler upgrades:
1. Participants will compete with mileage, not best times. Instead of signing up for a specific race like 5K or 10K, Running Wild is now open to any and all distance! Teams will compile mileage throughout the week, and we’ll normalize each activity to put the distance in a fair context. For instance, one mile of running is “equivalent” to three miles of biking.
You can submit every morning walk, every afternoon hike, every evening jog. We only ask you submit a specific activity each time—not all your steps throughout the day.
2. Pick your team! Last year we assigned teams at random. This year you can choose what Ambassador Animal you want to represent while Running Wild! We’ll use an equivalency ratio to keep things fair for teams with fewer people.
3. Welcome Team Pepper. We recently lost our beautiful Virginia opossum, Olive. To honor her, Pepper is stepping up. Want to be on the new Team Pepper? Or on the classic team of Apollo, Shelly, or Edgar?
A note about Olive: In January, we said goodbye to our beloved opossum, Olive. Her health and mobility had deteriorated, and we knew we had to prevent her from suffering. We’re so happy we had a team in Olive’s name in our first Running Wild virtual race. You can still purchase a Team Olive T-shirt in her memory. All proceeds will go to the feeding and care of Pepper and our other amazing Ambassador Animals.
Meet Your Team’s Ambassador Animal
We want Running Wild to be an interactive opportunity—giving every participant a chance to meet their team’s amazing Ambassador Animal. Be on the lookout for information about our Zoom meet-and-greets!
During your Ambassador Animal meet-and-greet, we’ll tell you all the wonderful things about your team’s animal: Apollo, Shelly, Edgar, or our new team, Pepper!
Like Olive, Pepper is a Virginia opossum. She arrived at PWC in November 2020 after being found as an orphaned baby. We know Pepper will carry on Olive’s opossum legacy at Piedmont Wildlife Center, and we hope you’re excited to meet her!
Connecting to Nature, and Each Other
Running Wild helps PWC learn more about how marketing, data science, and technology can help us connect more people to nature—and teach the importance of conservation—in our new COVID-19 world. Many PWC staff and board members have worked hard to make Running Wild a success, as we all find new ways to use and connect with technology—and, most importantly, with each other.
We are determined to continue to offer cutting-edge education and lead the way in local conservation. We are determined to foster a love of nature in all persons, and to protect our natural world, and all the beauty within in, now more than ever. Sharpening our skills in statistics, algorithms, and the power of open source will make PWC an even stronger advocate for our natural resources and wildlife friends.
What Your Help Means to PWC
Piedmont Wildlife Center is a magical place, where people of all ages and backgrounds discover and honor our natural resources, wildlife friends, and local communities. Many enter PWC as shy children with a passion for the outdoors—and emerge as confident leaders who inspire society to care about nature and conservation.
Part of our educational mission is to teach children and adults alike how ecosystems operate, plus the many clever ways organisms adapt to changing environments. We are still experiencing this lesson firsthand, as we continue to face a global pandemic with its genesis in the delicate human-wildlife relationship we strive to teach everyone about.
Just as organisms adapt, PWC has had to adapt.
Due to COVID-19, we continue to operate with limited group sizes and smaller camper-to-staffer ratios. Following the best COVID-19 safety practices, we can only hold programs at two of our three existing locations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put PWC at a financial disadvantage. With reduced revenue from camps, in-person programs, and our annual auction and gala, we had to get creative on how to stay in operation. Our community and natural world need us!
And we need your help. Running Wild is a fun, unique virtual event—best of all, it’s also a fundraiser that makes it possible for PWC to continue our vital work.
Get Ready to Run Wild for PWC
Running Wild will be held May 23rd to 30th. We invite you to participate and to tell all your friends!
Thank you for all of your support. To become a monthly supporter or volunteer for Piedmont Wildlife Center, click here.
