Beer, food, ice cream, an ugly Christmas sweater toque and lots of fun for a good cause sounds like quite the wish list at this time of year.
That’s exactly what the Now That’s Ugly Society is offering up for its sixth annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Dash Dec. 7 at the Parkside Brewery in Port Moody.
This year, the proceeds, for the first time, will go to the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation’s campaign to support its emergency department expansion.
“We want to be a part of that,” said society co-founder Jordan Birch. “I live, work and play in the Tri-Cities, and we’re going to be generating resources just by having a good time."And to be able to put that toward primary care in the community it’s an easy choice to make. “It needs an upgrade so it’s the right thing to do.”
Participation in the 5-km run costs $40 for adults and the goodies package includes a half-pint of beer, some samplings of plant-based items from his Phox Foods company, a serving of Rocky Point Ice Cream and an official Ugly Sweater toque. There’s also lots of entertainment plus a bonfire at the Finishers Festival, which runs until 1 p.m. at Parkside Brewing.
Birch said he’s been raising money with the society since he was 20, first of all with an ugly sweater party and now with the dash.
“It’s the most fun I can have with my sweater on,” said Birch, who estimates Now That’s Ugly has raised $250,000 for various charities.
The dash has become a generational event for himself, his wife Lauren, his 2 1/2-year-old son Wyatt and his parents.
“We find that a lot of people just mark it on their calendar with their friends and family. It’s become a Christmas tradition,” said Birch. “It gets sweeter every year.”
Youth aged nine to 18 can register for $20 while the cost for kids is $5, although no toque comes with it. Registration can be done online at nowthatsugly.com or at raceroster.com/events.
