“We are thankful once again to our friends at Willow Running for putting on another fantastic event. Race Director Mike Samoraj and his team did another phenomenal job hosting a great running experience for participants and raising money to help the Volunteer Transportation Center.”
Jeremiah S. Papineau
VTC’s Director of Communications and Foundation Director
(WATERTOWN, NY) – The Volunteer Transportation Center Foundation has announced the return of the Black River Trail Run raised $3,500 to help provide transportation services for those in need in the North Country.
The event – a 5K/10K/15K race on the Black River Trail in Jefferson County – was hosted May 10 by Willow Running, an organization based in Central New York that hosts events across the state to raise money for various nonprofit organizations. The event saw more than 200 runners participate.
“We are thankful once again to our friends at Willow Running for putting on another fantastic event,” said Jeremiah S. Papineau, the VTC’s Director of Communications and Foundation Director. “Race Director Mike Samoraj and his team did another phenomenal job hosting a great running experience for participants and raising money to help the Volunteer Transportation Center.”
Since its inception, the Black River Trail Run has raised more than $17,000 to help the support the VTC in its mission to “provide transportation to health, wellness and critical needs destinations utilizing volunteers and mobility management for anyone who has barriers to transportation.” Mr. Papineau said the money raised by the annual event continues to make a great impact on the VTC’s mission.
“We’ve been able to provide thousands of miles of transportation to those in need thanks to the Black River Trail Run and, more specifically, our friends at Willow Running,” said Mr. Papineau.
The top three finishers of the 5K portion of the event were Corwin Christman of Lowville in third place with a time of 19:30; Sean Martinek of Sackets Harbor in second place with a time of 19:23; and Kevin Abel of Liverpool in first place with a time of 19:10. The top three finishers of the 10K portion of the event were Gregory Ashe of Watertown in third place with a time of 43:03; Mike Smithson of Syracuse in second place with a time of 42:25; and Jason Rudd of Rodman in first place with a time of 41:25. The top three finishers of the 15K Combo for the event were Matthew Ostermiller of Watertown with a time of 1:12:47; Brent Baginski of Watertown with a time of 1:07:06; and Trevor Drahem of Richmond, Tx., in first place with a time of 1:00:49.
Complete results for this year’s Black River Trail Run may be found online through the Willow Running website, accessible at https://bit.ly/Black-River-Trail-Run, and clicking on the “Results” tab at the top of the page.
Sponsors for this year’s event included Carthage Area Hospital, Carthage Savings & Loan, Cesario Family Dental, Chimera Integrations, Croghan Meat Market, Farney’s Home & Building Center, Gouverneur Savings & Loan Association, Homes Realty of Northern New York, Jefferson Concrete, Knowlton Technologies LLC, Rudd’s Town & Country, Samaritan Medical Center, Service Plus Automotive, Sliders Food Mart, Thrive Wellness and Recovery, Watertown Internists, and Watertown Savings Bank. Additional support was provided by Garland City Beer Works and Fairfield by Marriott Watertown Thousand Islands.
ABOUT WILLOW RUNNING
Willow Running’s mission is to offer a high quality experience that goes beyond the actual race event. While unique courses, “off the beaten path” locations and runner safety are always a priority, Willow Running also offers top notch swag and super fun post-race festivities. It’s that signature blend of run and fun that aims to inspire participants to better health and greater fulfillment.
The next local event Willow Running will host will be the Summer Solstice 5K on Friday, June 20, in Sackets Harbor. More information about that event may be found online at https://bit.ly/Summer-Solstice-5K.
For more information, visit www.willowrunning.com.
ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER TRANSPORTATION CENTER
The Volunteer Transportation Center, Inc. (VTC), established in 1991, drives thousands of miles each year assisting community members in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties and beyond. Over the last 30 years, this essential non-profit organization has provided rides to health care appointments, food sources and other critical needs destinations for residents.
In 2024, volunteer drivers provided 25,478 charitable trips over 876,509 miles in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties. Of those miles, 318,320 helped those in Jefferson County, 112,852 in Lewis County, and 445,337 in St. Lawrence County. That equated to approximately $438,255 in mileage reimbursement for our volunteers. That’s why the community’s help is so important.
The staff, boards of directors and volunteer drivers look forward to a time when transportation to community activities and services is accessible to all North Country residents regardless of economic or specialized needs. But for now the mission drives on — striving to provide transportation to health, wellness and critical needs destinations utilizing volunteers and mobility management for anyone who has barriers to transportation.
For more information about how you can help the Volunteer Transportation Center, about its upcoming events, or to become a volunteer driver, contact the agency in Jefferson and Lewis Counties at 315-788-0422, in St. Lawrence County at 315-714-2034, or Western New York at 585-250-5030. Volunteers drive their own cars, set their own hours and receive mileage reimbursement but, more importantly, make a difference in the community. To learn more, visit www.volunteertransportationcenter.org.