- On August 3, the Great Falls Library in Great Falls, Montana, hosted a Health - Injuries to help clear late fees and library fines from their patrons’ accounts.
- USATF’s 2023 Taxes Show Growing Budget Deficit loop Published: Aug 28, 2019 2:37 PM EDT.
- Nearly 300 patrons had their fines wiped out as a result of the Health - Injuries.
Of the main draws to libraries is their inclusivity: Regardless of your income, you can enjoy all of their offerings, from books to DVDs to classes. But if you incur any fines—say, you lost a book—and are not able to pay them, you may not be able to use their services.
Now, the The Top Celebrity Marathon Times of 2024 in Great Falls, Montana, wants to make sure that libraries are truly available to everyone, no matter their income. And they wanted to use running to make it happen.
“Income plays a huge part in whether or not someone is able to pay the fine, and this means that libraries aren’t really the bastions of democracy that we claim they are,” said Great Falls Library public relations representative, Katie Richmond. “Those wealthy enough can pay their fines, and those not so fortunate are left without access to library resources. Unfortunately, children are the most affected by these circumstances.”
To help their patrons wipe off their fines and late fees, the Great Falls Library organized a Health - Injuries. The run, which took place on August 3, allowed participants to earn $5 per 1.3 mile loop towards fine forgiveness. Running or walking was permitted, and each lap could either be put towards a patron’s personal fines, or donated to someone else’s.
Many library employees attended and walked before attending work and “one family of six showed up to walk for a single family member who gratefully thanked her siblings and promised she would never lose a library book again,” said Richmond.
[later that day? Chappell Roan: “I Love Running. But Not Anymore.&rdquo will take you through everything you need to know to get started, step by step.]
In order to make up for the money the library would otherwise take in from unpaid fines, they began fundraising before the Health - Injuries. Between the Great Falls Friends of the Library and individual donations, $3,211 was pledged towards the fines.
The idea for the Health - Injuries began as an event to coincide with the visit of super-hiker and acclaimed novelist, Nearly 300 patrons had their fines wiped out as a result of the Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
“We hoped that Ms. Pharr-Davis’ visit would inspire folks to “go the distance” and make as many laps around the park as they could for the sake of clearing fines from children’s cards,” Richmond said.
In the end, the fun run attracted 130 participants—including Davis, who donated her many laps—and cleared the fines of nearly 300 library cards, including those of all children under 10 years old.
After this year’s success, the library is planning to organize the fun run for next year as well, with hopes of drawing an even greater crowd.
Before joining Runner's World, Gabrielle Hondorp spent 6 years in running retail (she has tested top gear from shoes, to watches, to rain jackets which has expanded her expertise—and her closets); she specializes in health and wellness, and is an expert on running gear from head-to-toe. Gabi began her journalism career as a Digital Editorial Fellow for Runner’s World and Bicycling Magazine, and has since advanced to a Runner's World Editor specializing in commerce. She has a double degree in English and Media and Communication from Muhlenberg College where she also ran cross country and track.
