Support Lake City Friends of EMTs
with a purchase of a Solstice running or long sleeve tee!
Dear San Juan Solstice Runners and Lake City Community:
After hosting the San Juan Solstice 50 Mile Race for 25 years in Lake City, we have unfortunately had to cancel this race for the second year in a row. Here is the process that the race committee went through to make the difficult decision to cancel the race to protect and care for the health and safety of our racing, local, and global community.
We seriously considered postponing the race until the last weekend in September, after the Wine and Music Festival. But of course, the elephant in the room is the virus.
While supporting Hinsdale Public Health orders, inviting 250 + runners plus families into our community doesn't align with the safety requirements that are in place.
In considering the running community, we value the time and effort it takes to train and plan for a race like this. We know that the preparation can begin a year in advance. With this in mind, the race committee wanted to notify runners as soon as it was apparent that an event of this size in June would be unfeasible. This conversation and difficult decision making process is prevalent to all races at this time.
In considering the local community and businesses, this decision was especially difficult. Special considerations were taken knowing that this race benefits our local volunteer EMS team, of whom are particularly in high demand especially at this time. In prioritizing safety at all levels, individual, local, regional, and global, an unfortunate second cancellation, we felt was the responsible decision.
Walking the tightrope between a healthy community and a healthy economy is tricky and the Race Committee takes its responsibility very seriously. Given the unprecedented nature of this event we must consider and prioritize the health of our runners, volunteers, community and EMTs.
The SJS 50 Race Committee
Jerry Gray, Christi Reece, Martha Levine, Lily Virden, Jen Reinhardt, Tom Arnold, Kirk Apt, Jim Baker, Steve & Lynda McCormick
Pulling the Plug, Again
We tried. We really tried to avoid cancelling the San Juan Solstice 50 for the second year in a row. However it has become clear that we cannot hold the race this June and must cancel. Our obligation extends to the runners, our volunteers and the Lake City community; everyone’s health and safety must be our highest consideration.
This is an unprecedented situation to say the least! We don’t know what to expect and so we must err on the side of caution for everyone’s sake. We considered postponing the race, in some form, until the last weekend in September, after the Wine and Music Festival but for many reasons that is not practical. So, with those considerations in mind, we must cancel this year’s race and we will roll over current runner registrations and the wait list to June 26, 2021.
The motels, restaurants, shops and the bars will miss having the runners business in town again this year. The community will miss their healthy, positive and inspiring presence. Of all the groups of visitors who come to Lake City during any year, we believe that the ultra runners are the most appreciated and admired. The Aid Station volunteers will miss supporting their efforts as they work their way around the course. The 10 local runners who are signed up will miss the camaraderie of running with them. The EMTs will miss the financial boost that the race provides again this year.
Our little team of volunteer EMTs is on the front line in the fight against COVID-19 in Lake City. Under normal circumstances EMTs stand ready to interrupt their lives at any time, day or night, bringing to an abrupt end: work, a meal, time with family or friends, sleep or any other aspect of daily life. They respond for acquaintances, friends or even family members as well as strangers suffering from a wide range of illnesses or injuries in their residence or motel room or RV Park or campground or highway or jeep trail or the side of a mountain. Now they have the added danger of not only contracting the virus but also then bringing it home to their spouse and their kids.
To say that this pandemic has created economic distress for almost everyone would be an understatement. However, if you find yourself in a position to make a donation to Friends of Lake City EMTs it would be greatly appreciated and would help to offset two years with no income from the race.
We are all in this together.
Jerry Gray, RD and the SJS 50 Race Committee
Friends of Lake City EMTs
PO Box 853
Lake City CO 81235
