“The thought of having 1,500 to 2,000 people in downtown Mill Valley for the start seemed to be against the interests of public safety,” race organizer Chris Knez told the Marin Independent Journal. “It just seemed like the smart thing at the time. I still can’t imagine 2,000 people in downtown Mill Valley this weekend.”
It was the right call, but it also gutted the funding source – entry fees – for the Dipsea Race Foundation’s annual 2020 Dipsea Foundation Scholarships to five seniors heading to college in the fall. But they organized a separate fundraising effort and raised enough to fund the program.
Recipients were honored in a celebration via Zoom this week. They include: Mia Eisenberg (Sir Francis Drake High School/Smith College), Summer Solomon (Tamalpais High School/Chapman University), Amir Barkan (Sir Francis Drake High School/Occidental College), Paul Law (Tamalpais High School/University of Portland) and Lyle Rumon (Marin Catholic High School/Cal Poly). Family, friends and supporters joined the call.
“We’re happy that the kids are not being penalized because of this pandemic,” Dipsea Race Foundation board Merv Regan told the IJ.
The 110th Dipsea Race has been pushed back until June 13, 2021.