Welcome to the 5th Annual Bridge City Boogie! 

It is with great pleasure that I welcome back old friends and the many new faces that will be joining us on Sunday, June 12, 2011. 

Whenever I think back to last year’s Bridge City Boogie I’m always overcome with a feeling of joy and happiness.  To see 5,167 participants at the start line all gathered for the sake of wellness and community is truly an amazing sight!  Last year was my first year as race director and while I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, I must admit the job did present its challenges. For example mid February I was thrown my first curve ball – 10km course conflicts with spring road construction and as a result a new 10km course needed to be established.  And then there was Mother Nature who dumped a record amount of rain on Saskatchewan last spring and summer which forced us to postpone Boogie Fest. Although there were a few bumps along the road, Boogie 2010 was a huge success.  The new 10km course was well received by participants and although Mother Nature forced us to postpone Boogie Fest till this year due to soggy fields, the weather on race day was perfect! 

For those of you new to the event, The Bridge City Boogie is a 2km, 5km and 10km wellness event with emphasis on fun, fitness and community.  The Boogie is all inclusive with age categories reflecting the diversity of participants.  Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a first time walker, you’ll have no trouble finding an event that suits your fitness goals.  I think you’ll be surprised by the beauty of the area and delighted by the runners and volunteers you’ll meet on the course.  To make the Boogie happen, there will be over 550 people volunteering their time before, during and after the race to help make your Boogie experience a positive one.

The Bridge City Boogie is all about giving back to the community and donates 100% of the proceeds to local charities.  We’re proud to announce that in 2010 The Boogie donated over $89,000 to three charities: Raise-a-Reader, the Saskatoon Crisis Nursery and the Boys and Girls Club of Saskatoon.  This year we’re happy to announce that we’ve added the Saskatchewan Children’s Festival to the list of beneficiaries.  While all money raised from the Boogie goes to charity, it is important to point out that participants are only required to pay the registration fee as our event is not a pledge-a-thon.  

It’s hard to believe that 2011 marks the 5th anniversary of The Bridge City Boogie and I’m blow away with how far we have come in just 5 short years.  Back in 2007, the Bridge City Boogie celebrated 831 participants and 284 volunteers in its inaugural year.  In its second year, the Boogie exploded and doubled in participant and volunteer numbers.  In year 4 we were thrilled with 4,408 participants and 520 volunteers.  I’m proud to say that last year’s Boogie was an overwhelming success with 5,167 participants and 550 wonderful and very dedicated volunteers!  Every year The Bridge City Boogie gets bigger and better and I know this holds true for Boogie 5 and I am so excited to see what it will bring.

On behalf of the rest of the Boogie Committee, we encourage everyone to get in motion and join the excitement by participating in this year’s Bridge City Boogie!  We wish you all the best in your training and we look forward to cheering you on and congratulating you at the finish on race day!

Miren Luczka
Race Director