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It's Catholic Charities of Schoharie County's turn to benefit from the FAM 5K Fund run/walk, which will kick off for the 20th time Sept. 28 at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds.

The annual event, sponsored by Fenimore Asset Management, Inc., a Cobleskill investment advisory firm, rotates the race's beneficiaries among five Schoharie County non-profit agencies. Representatives from each charity volunteer each year, and FAM has donated to each even on off years.

In recent years, more than 800 people have participated in the race, which has raised about $20,000 annually. It is sanctioned by the Adirondack Association of USA Track and Field.

"It brings the community together [and] folks from literally all over the country," said Frank Privitera, FAM's marketing director. "It's a special time."

Digna Betancourt Swingle, executive director for Catholic Charities of Schoharie County, said the extra funding is "like a gift from heaven to help us help more people." Her agency serves more than 2,000 people each year through a food pantry, a thrift shop, emergency assistance, a crime victims program, counseling, caregiving services and community service restitution for non-violent offenders. It supports domestic violence victims and families with a 24-hour hotline, a safe dwelling, crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling and transportation.

Flooding in Schoharie County has caused more needs than ever. In 2012, Catholic Charities' food pantry served 499 children, 668 adults and 55 senior citizens. Other new clients have asked for help with needs as simple as a pair of school shoes for a child or the cost of a tank of gas to get to a job interview.

"Some of them have never asked for assistance before," said Ms. Betancourt Swingle. "Because of the flood, their whole lives got disrupted."

Last year, FAM race organizers had less than a month to prepare the Cobleskill fairgrounds site after flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. National security and FEMA were occupying the grounds. But the public pushed for the race to go on.

"It was something people looked forward to after all the destruction," said Peter Sweetser of FAM, who's also the race director and a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Cobleskill.

Catholic Charities and a dozen other community organizations will have booths at the race among entertainment, food and more. Children can participate in their own run and activities.

Mr. Sweetser called the day "an opportunity for us to showcase the many things that Catholic Charities does that other people may not be aware of."

The race will begin with prayer. The other organizations in the rotation are Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care, Habitat for Humanity of Schoharie County, Schoharie County ARC and Schoharie County Community Action Program.[[In-content Ad]]

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