PigAbilities Athletes Prep for Virtual Event on October 6th!

PigAbilities Team from Goodwill’s CARE program

As the Title Sponsor for the 2020 PigAbilities event (an inclusive event which welcomes athletes of all abilities as part of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon); Ohio Valley Goodwill was disappointed when the Marathon and PigAbilities had to be cancelled this year in response to COVID-19. Fortunately, the opportunity to create a “virtual” PigAbilities event was offered as an option this year. Goodwill’s team of athletes from the organization’s Center for Advocacy, Recreation and Education (CARE) program immediately were excited to participate. The team of six athletes, Kristine Agoston, Jordan Gross, Garrett Halpin, Jon Hicks, Phillip Hoover and Elizabeth Steele, have begun training for the one mile virtual event which will take place in a nearby park on Tuesday, October 6th. Coach, Lois Kramer, CARE Supervisor along with Assistant Coaches Sharon Hannon and Alisha Moore from the Marketing team will be on hand to support the PigAbilities athletes at the park. The one mile event will be followed by a medal ceremony presented by Pig Works (the parent organization of the Flying Pig Marathon) on the campus of Ohio Valley Goodwill. “I am so happy that the CARE team decided they wanted to be a part of the virtual PigAbilities event,” said Lois Kramer, CARE Supervisor. “The CARE program is all about community involvement and integration and of course, this year, the virus has made this very challenging.”

PigAbilities is an empowering option for athletes of all ages and abilities who want to commit to going the distance by making healthy choices in their lives. The PigAbilities event normally takes place when there are fewer crowds, increased accessibility and more parking.   2020 marks the fourth year that Ohio Valley Goodwill has committed to being the Title sponsor for the PigAbilities event. Last year’s event broke all previous records for participation with more than 400 athletes choosing to finish the final mile of the Flying Pig Marathon. Goodwill’s Volunteer Service Guild also sponsored the Celebration tent at the end of the event with cookies for all of the happy team members. In 2019, more than 50 athletes supported by Ohio Valley Goodwill participated in the Pigabilities event and the post-race celebration and loved it. While this year’s “virtual” event will only welcome six dedicated athletes directly affiliated with Goodwill, other athletes have chosen to create “virtual” PigAbilities events in their home communities as well. Ohio Valley Goodwill is grateful to Pig Works for their support of the 2020 “virtual” PigAbilities event and are very proud of the athletes who are now in training for the October 6th big event. For more information about PigAbilities, visit http://flyingpigmarathon.com/events/pigabilities/. For more information about the CARE program, visit www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/services.