MOSES LAKE — If you ventured around Moses Lake on Saturday you might have seen the more than 150 runners participating in the Boys and Girls Club of the Columbia Basin’s marathon and family fun run. To the casual observer the runners might have appeared to be doing just that, running. But the reason behind the running is what makes the marathons an important community event.

The races started and ended at Moses Lake High School, with the half-marathon kicking off at 8:30 a.m. and the 10k and 5k races commencing at 9 a.m. Club director Brant Mayo said more than 150 people competed in the respective races, with the total amount of money raised from the event to be tabulated in the near future.

“Overall the feedback was positive from it. The runners had a good time and it was a beautiful day, obviously that always helps,” Mayo remarked. “All the kids got their participation medals and everybody just had a great time.”

The funds raised from the marathon, along with donations raised during the club’s annual Rubber Duck Derby in July and auction in October, go directly toward funding operations at the club. There is a constant need for funds to aid the club in covering everyday essentials at its North Paxson Drive location, Mayo said, and the money raised helps cover those essentials.

“The money goes basically to help pay staff and we need our supplies for this and that here at the club. It’s used for stuff like keeping the lights on and everyday things like that,” Mayo explained.

Sponsors for the event included: Samaritan Healthcare, MX Consulting, Moses Lake Community Health Center, Dr. Rory Knapp, Confluence Health, REC Silicon, Desert Ridge Produce, Columbia Physical Therapy, HaySoftware, Eckenburg Farms, Feller Orthodontics, LAD Irrigation, and Michael's on the Lake.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.