Many steps taken to help accessible arts programming

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This article was published 04/12/2017 (2876 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mike Bennett ran farther than a marathon on Sunday to raise funds for accessible arts programming in the West Broadway neighbourhood.

Bennett, 61, laced up his jogging shoes and ran 58.341 kilometres on the loop that goes down Wolseley Avenue, across the railway bridge by Omand’s Creek to Wellington Crescent, down the Crescent to the Maryland Bridge and back to Wolseley, as part of a personal fundraiser for Art City.

“Each loop is 5.8 kilometres,” he said on Sunday, after finishing the run.

“I’m feeling every one of my 61 years now, but it feels good what I’ve done.

“This is for Art City. My wife is on the board of directors, but I also volunteer there too. What they do is wonderful.”

Art City was founded almost 20 years ago by artist Wanda Koop.

Koop founded the organization, located on Broadway, with the goal that community arts programming should be accessible to all. Entry to the art studio is free of charge and open to all ages.

Bennett said a standard marathon is 42.195 kilometres, so he blew past that on Sunday.

He began at 6 a.m. and completed the 10 loops around 2:30 p.m.

“I’m very lucky with the weather,” he added.

“I got off easy.

“My contingency plan was to put it off for a week, but I didn’t have to. It was perfect.”

People were still delivering donations to Bennett on Sunday, but at last count, a family member donated a single dollar to make the total raised an even $5,000.

Bennett said he already knows what Art City will do with the money.

“They are doing a renovation of their kitchen,” he said.

“They have an old stove ready for the junkyard. They will now have a new stove and, because it will have induction, this will also pay for the pots and pans they’ll need.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca