$2,490 Donated to Pacesetter Program winner, Energy Krazed

INDIANAPOLIS (June 28, 2018) – The 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization providing life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500, today announced that the 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon helped contribute more than $20,000 to various nonprofit organizations through its Mini with a Meaning Program.

“As the nation’s premier half marathon, the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon puts an emphasis on an entire community’s involvement,” said Bob Bryant, president and CEO, 500 Festival. “One of many facets of the race that provide different groups with amazing opportunities, the Mini with a Meaning Program has allowed the 500 Festival to give back tens of thousands of dollars to community partners in the last four years. We’re proud of the hard work that these organizations do within our community, and we’re thankful for their involvement with the race. Congratulations to Energy Krazed, and we invite other charities to join us for the 43^rd running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in 2019.”

Launched in 2015, the Mini with a Meaning Program provides nonprofit organizations with a unique opportunity to raise funds and awareness. Participating charities recruit team members to participate in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and/or 500 Festival 5K on their behalf, committing to raise money for the organization. In 2018, eight different nonprofit organizations participated in the Mini with a Meaning Program, including:

• Back on My Feet
• Energy Krazed
• Indiana Lyme Connect
• Jonnie’s Goodguys
• Move for Hunger
• National Stroke Association
• Race Against Traffick
• Riley Children’s Foundation

In addition, nonprofit organizations participating in the 2018 Mini with a Meaning Program had the opportunity to raise money through the 500 Festival’s Pacesetter Challenge. Sailors of the USS Indiana, SSN 789 served as the pacesetters for the 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.

Petty Officer Perez, a crewmember of the USS Indiana, took to the streets of Norfolk, Virginia to run a 13.1-mile course on behalf of his fellow sailors in November of 2017. Petty Officer Perez completed the 13.1 miles in 1:52, making that the time to beat. For each 2018 Indy Mini participant who finished faster than the USS Indiana sailors, the 500 Festival donated $1 to the winning charity, Energy Krazed.

"We are elated to be the winner of this year's Pacesetter Program for the second year in a row," said Alyssa Kennedy, Director of Community Outreach for Energy Krazed. “We are truly grateful for our team members who ran and raised funds on our behalf! I also wish I could personally thank everyone who voted for us. It means a lot to our organization and even more to the Hoosier families we serve. We look forward to our continued partnership with the 500 Festival and encourage everyone to participate in their extraordinary events.”

The 500 Festival presented Energy Krazed with the winning check on Thursday, June 28 at the 500 Festival offices.

Energy Krazed is a nonprofit organization developing fun, relevant, educational, and interactive programs that empower youth to take charge of their minds, bodies, and ultimately their futures. The Energy Krazed approach is flexible, person-centered, evidence-based, and collaborative. The programs increase the quality of life of young Hoosiers by teaching the importance of nutrition, physical and mental health, and mindfulness through a collaboration of students, parents, healthcare professionals, educators, and the community.

All OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and 500 Festival 5K registrations help support the 500 Festival’s free educational and youth fitness programming and events. By participating in the Mini with a Meaning program, runners and walkers have the ability to make an impact in multiple ways within the Indianapolis community. The 500 Festival is committed to partnering with nonprofit organizations within the community. The 500 Festival provides the following benefits to nonprofit organizations participating in Mini with a Meaning:

• Discounted entries on OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, 500 Festival 5K, 500 Festival Miler Series, presented by OrthoIndy
• Registration rewards based on group size
• Complimentary group packet pickup
• Organization featured on 500 Festival website
• Dedicated social media posts

Nonprofit organizations interested in participating in the 2019 Mini with A Meaning Program should visit IndyMini.com or email bpawelak@500festival.com.

The 43^rd  running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2019.

The course for the Mini-Marathon is flat and fast and appeals to runners and walkers alike. It begins near the intersection of Washington and West Streets in downtown Indianapolis, heads west toward the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and includes a lap around the famed 2.5-mile track before heading back downtown to the finish line at Military Park.

The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon is sponsored by OneAmerica, Franciscan Health and Meijer. The Mini-Marathon will be broadcast to the Indianapolis market on WTHR, Channel 13. To learn more about the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, visit www.indymini.com or search #IndyMini on social media.

About the 500 Festival

Founded in 1957, the 500 Festival is a not-for-profit organization that produces more than 50 life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500 and foster positive impact on the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana. One of the largest festivals in the nation, each year more than half a million people attend an event or program produced by the 500 Festival. Since its founding, the 500 Festival has contributed more than $400 million in economic value to Indianapolis. To learn more about the 500 Festival, please visit www.500festival.com, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, or on Facebook.

###