Goodwill and the Queen Bee…a Royal Partnership!
The weekend of Friday, October 10th and Saturday October 11th, were just a beehive of activity as the 1st-ever Queen Bee Half Marathon took place in downtown Cincinnati. More than 4,000 runners and walkers flew to the Horseshoe Casino on Friday for the Queen Bee Expo where participants picked up their race packets and had the chance to take advantage of all kinds of experiences with the group of excited vendors and sponsors. One of the major hits of the Expo was the Goodwill Photo “Selfie” area where race participants could dress up with the help of Goodwill team bees and take memorable photos of the first-time experience. Hundreds of attendees delighted in donning hats, tiaras, feather boas, and bee wings and posing for hilarious images.
Many generous race participants had also heard about the opportunity to recycle responsibly and brought donations to the Expo. They were especially thrilled to learn they had a chance to win a luxurious spa pampering basket at the end of the event. The highlight of the Expo for the Goodwill team however was the Cincy Chic Fashion Show event which featured models, Leslie McCurley, Asst. Director of DD Services, and Stephanie Mitchell, advocate and long-time community employee. Excited to be showing off fashions from Goodwill’s Montgomery Boutique, Leslie and Stephanie impressed the assembled crowd with their glamorous, high style looks.
The morning of Race Day, October 11th, brought clear skies and more than 4000 buzzing race participants swarming at the start line outside the Horseshoe Casino. Six members of Team Goodwill were participants in this year’s premier race event, both in the half marathon and the four mile option. Other Goodwill team members manned the exhibit booth for the after party at the Casino and another team were stationed at the half-way point of the race managing the photo “selfie” booth at that location. A reporter from the Cincinnati Enquirer was so intrigued with the Goodwill photo “selfie” station that they stopped by to take photos and talk to the team members.
The post event party featured not only a band on stage and plenty of food and drink for all of the racers but also, a huge screen which played a slide show of all the “selfie” images taken throughout the two-day party at the Goodwill “selfie” booth location. “We could not be more thrilled with our first-ever partnership with the Queen Bee Half Marathon,” said Sharon Hannon, Marketing Specialist. “It was a wonderful experience that allowed Ohio Valley Goodwill to interact closely with lots of new friends in the Greater Cincinnati community,” added Hannon. The final highlight of race day, was the announcement of the winner of the spa pampering basket sponsored by Goodwill and Christopher Marcus Salon. The winner, Erin, was delighted to be the recipient of the lavish basket which included a spa treatment package as well as lots of pampering goodies.
Ohio Valley Goodwill is grateful to the Queen Bee team for their invitation to be part of the first-ever event and looks forward to our continued collaboration in the future.
