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CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge donates more than $40,000 to local charities

CDPHP's Brian O'Grady, Diane Hester of Wizard's Wardrobe, Jeremiah Haley with Reeling for Recovery, and Todd Mesick with HMRRC
Samantha Simmons
CDPHP's Brian O'Grady, Diane Hester of Wizard's Wardrobe, Jeremiah Haley with Reeling for Recovery, and Todd Mesick with HMRRC

May’s CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge race raised more than $40,000 for two local charities aimed at supporting students.

The 3.5-mile road race around Albany’s Washington Park brings runners and walkers together to raise money for charity and build camaraderie with co-workers. This year’s charities of choice were Wizard’s Wardrobe and Reeling for Recovery.

Wizard’s Wardrobe supports students in Albany’s South End with free, one-on-one literacy tutoring programs. And Reeling for Recovery gives disadvantaged youth the opportunity to learn through adventure-based and fishing experiences. Race director Todd Mesick says the event, which has been running for 44 years, is important to the community.

“The benefit is that we get to raise some money for some very, very meaningful organizations that do great work in this community,” Mesick said. “So, a lot of good goes into it.”

More than 8,300 people were registered this year. Money raised also supports the Hudson-Mohawk Road Runners Club, allowing it to sponsor college scholarships for local high school runners, running clinics, and free races for its members.

Nearly $20,000 was raised by participants, and CDPHP, which is in its 17th year as the event’s primary sponsor, donated more than $20,000.

Speaking at the health insurance company’s Latham facility Thursday, Brian O’Grady, President of Health Plan Markets at CDPHP, says the race’s purpose is multi-faceted.

“CDPHP cares about this community. We'd like to show the entire community the way to wellness,” O’Grady said. “So, through their participation, runners and walkers, not only get the physical benefits of the exercise, but they get the emotional gratification that comes with supporting local charities.”

Established in 2015, Wizard’s Wardrobe provides students with two weekly 90-minute tutoring sessions to enhance their listening and reading capabilities, and build their vocabulary. Executive Director Diane Hester, an Albany native, says the funding will allow the non-profit to host a summer program.

“Most of our kids don't do anything in the summer. They’re home on their devices. And a lot of them haven't been places, even local places, even Thacher [State] Park. Many of them have not been to Schuyler Mansion, which is right in the center of their neighborhood,” Hester said. “So, to expand the experiences, the kids are very excited to do new things.”

Reeling for Recovery was started after its founder, Jeremiah Haley, lost a friend to substance abuse. Haley says the grassroots non-profit ties together community-building events and addiction awareness. Haley says this is the largest donation the organization has received.

“There's been people that have reached out to me and wanted to do events with me, but we just didn't have the capacity of volunteers. So basically, to just have additional staffing to try new things and expand to new communities,” Haley said.

The annual race is held on the third Thursday of May.

Samantha joined the WAMC staff in 2023 after graduating from the University at Albany. She covers the City of Troy and Rensselaer County at large. Outside of reporting, she host's WAMC's Weekend Edition and Midday Magazine.

She can be reached by phone at (518)-465-5233 Ext. 211 or by email at ssimmons@wamc.org.
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