Lace up your sneakers and leave your good taste at home.
The Ugly Christmas Sweater Dash is back.
The 11th annual fashion-backward 5 km run/walk will be held Saturday, Dec. 7, at Dr. Hal Weinberg Spirit Park (1009 Ravenswood Dr.) in Anmore. The starting gun goes off at 10 a.m.
Proceeds from the event, that also features holiday music, a roaring bonfire, pancake breakfast as well as cookies and unlimited hot chocolate at the finish line, go to support Anmore Scouts.
The untimed dash is more than a test of physical prowess and endurance, though. It also challenges participants to come up with the “tackiest, ugliest Christmas sweater” they can find to enjoy “the most fun you can have with your knitwear on.”
Prizes are awarded for the ugliest sweater, best group costume, ugliest kids sweater, ugliest dog sweater and more.
The run is organized by Anmore resident Jordan Birch, who co-founded the Now That’s Ugly Society in 2002 with his university buddy, Chris Boyd, as a way to enliven a seasonal party they were attending while also giving back to the community.
Since then, the ugly sweater house party and fundraising effort expanded to larger venues like Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Burnaby and the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver and the run has moved around to Port Moody and Coquitlam while other communities around the world have launched their own dashes.
Birch and Boyd even turned their adventures promoting ugly Christmas sweaters and building community into a children’s book, The Ugly Christmas Sweater Rebellion.
Beneficiaries over the years have included the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation, Make-A-Wish, the Children’s Wish Foundation, Basics for Babies and the Salvation Army. Last year’s event supported the Anmore Elementary School PAC.
Registration, that includes an authentic ugly Christmas sweater toque, the pancake breakfast and a coupon for bottomless hot chocolate or an adult beverage, is $55.94 for adults, $34.40 for seniors over 50 and youth 9-18. The $12.86 registration for kids eight and under doesn’t include a toque.
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