A group of affordable housing professionals is teaming for one last Hood to Coast relay race to reach the $1 million mark raised over its history.
To hit that milestone, the Running for Shelter team needs to raise at least $100,000 this year. The proceeds will be split between National Church Residences and Horizon Housing Foundation.
The group had been taking part in the 200-mile Oregon relay for more than 20 years, the last time in 2019.
“I thought we had run our last housing relay, but Chris Hite, president and CEO of Sugar Creek Capital, asked what it would take to get to $1 million, and when it was determined that we would need to top $100,000, he advocated for running one last relay,” says team captain Paul Cummings, senior vice president and director of originations and capital markets at the National Affordable Housing Trust.
National Church Residences will use the proceeds to supplement its emergency relief fund for residents. This fund assists residents following a crisis, such as flooding, hurricanes, fires, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, displacing hundreds of senior residents living in the nonprofit organization’s affordable housing communities. About $25,000 was used to provide the residents with essential personal items, food, and bottled water until they could return to their communities.
Other team members include Michelle Norris of National Church Residences, Hampton Mallis of Sugar Creek Capital, Kimberlee Cornett of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Dana Bourland of The JPB Foundation, Steve Glenn of Plant Prefab, Rick Wishcamper of Wishrock Group, Lowel Krueger of Yakima Housing Authority, and Tony Daguanno and Neal Drumm of the National Equity Fund.
The Hood to Coast relay will take place August 26.
