Report-back!

We did it! We did 5 kilometers! Saturday May 3rd was the very first May Day 5K and you made it happen! The folks who came out and signed up the day of, the folks who came to volunteer, Black Eagle for making the sweet shirts, Cult for making us such amazing pizza, the IWW organizers for sharing the story of May Day and the Haymarket Massacre, the dog who ran with its human. If you haven’t already checked it out, we have posted photos from the event.

The IWW brought letter writing supplies and many folks were able to make drawings and write letters of support to Felix, who is in jail until the 11th.

A big thanks needs to go out to the MI CATS who came out to represent and get folks excited about their work. It’s great to see people who've never heard of tar sands before, get together with people who've never run a race before. Also, through your donations we were able to raise $560 to give to the MI CATS legal defense fund.

Follow the CATS on Facebook: www.facebook.com/michigancats
And you can read more on their website, where you can also make a donation: http://www.michigancats.org/

Stay in touch with the May Day 5k on FB and here on the site
https://www.facebook.com/mayday5kgr
Especially if you're interested in getting involved for May Day 5k 2015!

2014 May Day 5K: Photos

Race Day!

RACE DAY!

SHOW UP: 10:30am
AT: the North end of Riverside Park, on Monroe. (which is under construction, you have to come at the park from the north)
TO: Sign in, Register, make your donation, collect your runner's packet and shirt. Sign the giant check to the MI CATS

STARTING GUN: 11:00am the race starts! rain or shine!

CVLT PIZZA: arrives at 1:00 pm for all who cross the finish line!

The IWW and the MICATS will be present to share info and hang out, these are amazing people and you should say hello and shake their hands.

Water available at the start/finish line.
It will probably be raining... so what? dress accordingly and have fun! get wet for a cause!

Thank you to everyone who has made this possible, including CVLT PIZZA, Black Eagle and the IWW.

Felix: a MI CAT

This is Felix, one of the MI CATS who was just sentenced to 26 days in the slammer for trying to stop Enbridge, the company responsible for spilling tar sands oil into the Kalamazoo River. While Felix gets locked up for protecting us, Enbridge still hasn't been convicted of any wrong-doing. The Mayday 5k is going to be a lot of fun... but this is serious, this is for the CATS like Felix who are locked up for doing the right thing... The least we can do is go for a jog and pitch in for their legal defense.

route map: There are NO 5Ks on a dead planet!

The Mayday 5K is 10 days away and you have 3 days, just THREE DAYS, to register!*

ROUTE:
The route for the event has been posted in the form of the image above. This will be a "there-and-back" styled event. The starting line will be at the North end of Riverside Park, near the parking lot. Participants will go along the Grand River to the South end of the park, where there will be a checkpoint and back to the finish line.

BAD NEWS FOR BUS RIDERS:
Due to construction on Monroe, the city bus doesn't seem to be an option right now, which is a bummer. If you want to come to the event or participate, send us an e-mail or give us a call at (616) 920-1666 and we can help find you a way.

*REGISTER:
April 25th is the deadline for registration... if you want a t-shirt. The awesome folks at Black Eagle are designing and printing the shirts for us. Everyone who registers before April 25th will get one.
You can sign up after that, but supplies will be extremely limited. If you just want to participate and throw some money in for the MICATS, then that is totally fine with us too!
However, Black Eagle is pretty sweet and these shirts are going to be super limited edition and the finest fashion accessory you could ever hope to add to your closet... so don't waste time, REGISTER now!

TELL EVERYONE:
There is still time! Tell everyone at work, school, the bar, the gym, your synagogue, at the community garden, the shooting range, the pet store.... tell everyone about the Mayday 5K and about the MI CATS!
http://mayday5kgr.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/mayday5kgr
https://www.facebook.com/events/698949356806121/

Press Release: Mayday 5k to benefit the MICATS

[feel free to print, re-print, use, or in any other way share this info and image]

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Grand Rapids, MI - Saturday, May 3rd 2014 will be the inaugural Mayday 5k event. This event will benefit the MICATS (Michigan Coalition Against Tar Sands).

The race will start at 11:00 AM at Riverside Park, North of downtown Grand Rapids. Participants can walk, run, or skateboard the 3.1 mile route. Other means of transport are also welcome. The event is open to all ages and abilities.

Organizers plan to put on a 5k every year around May 1st, also known as May Day. Each year's event will raise money for a different cause or group. The 2014 event will raise money for the MICATS, a direct action group from around the state who are resisting the expansion of oil pipelines carrying the dangerous tar sands that are responsible for countless spills and pipe ruptures. More information can be found on the MICATS website (http://www.michigancats.org)

Local sponsors for the Mayday 5k include Black Eagle Press, a local retail and screen printing shop and Cult Pizza, the city's only farm-to-table pizzeria, and the Grand Rapids chapter of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) a labor union.

The entry fee is on a sliding-scale, with a suggested donation of $30. Participants in the race can choose their own fee amount, based on what they're able or willing to contribute. 100% proceeds will go to the MICATS. Registration for the event is open until April 19th. An event t-shirt is available for those who register before April 25th.

Interested participants can register as late as the morning of the race... however, if they want to ensure they get a t-shirt, register before April 25th.

for more information:
mayday5kgr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/mayday5kgr
michigancats.org

contact: Matthew Popovich-Judge

616-920-1666

GR Wobblies to sponsor 5k

The Grand Rapids chapter of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) is sponsoring the Mayday 5k to benefit the MICATS. The IWW is an industrial union with a vibrant history of labor struggles for liberation and justice.

The Grand Rapids branch will be presenting information at the event and in the runner's packets about the history of May Day and how it effects us today.

To learn more about the IWW (members of which are known as "Wobblies") check them out online:
http://grsbuxunion.blogspot.com/

Also, don't forget to REGISTER for the event!