Partnership bringing Jingle Bell Jog back to Tift Park in Albany

ALBANY — After several years at Phoebe HealthWorks, Jingle Bell Jog is heading back to its original home, Tift Park, and will include a special holiday Tift Park Community Market as part of a partnership, officials announced on Saturday.

Becca Miller, Children’s Miracle Network and special events coordinator for Phoebe Foundation, and Steve Brimberry, of Tift Park Community Market, announced the partnership on Saturday for this year’s event to raise money for a good cause while also providing exposure to an Albany resource that might otherwise be underutilized.

“The mission is to preserve and promote the park,” Brimberry said.

Miller also unveiled the T-shirt design for the Jingle Bell Jog, set for Dec. 10, and explained how the event benefits CMN.

About 1,000 people participated in last year’s event, taking part in 10K, one-mile and 5K events. Participants run through the streets of Albany’s Rawson Circle neighborhood, and children are invited to cheer on the runners by ringing jingle bells at the start and finish lines.

The bells may even be heard from those living in the Rawson Circle neighborhood, Miller said.

Jingle Bell Jog was created to benefit CMN, a funding supplement to purchase pediatric essential equipment and supplies not included in Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s general budget.

Among the current needs is a giraffe bed for the hospital’s intensive care unit, which costs $40,000.

“Our goal is to raise enough to purchase one of those,” Miller said.

The first event on Dec. 10 will be the 10K at 8 a.m., followed by the one-mile walk at 9:15 a.m. and the 5K at 9:30 a.m.

Awards will be presented at 10:30 a.m., or when the last runner is in, to the top three male and female finishers in each of the 15 age groups ranging from 6-9 to 75 and over. Masters awards and overall awards are expected to be given to top male and female finishers over the age of 40 in the 5K and 10K races.

Everyone crossing the finish line receives a ticket and a chance to win a door prize. The Jingle Bell Jog is an affiliate of Run & See Georgia and has a USA Track and Field Certified Course.

Pre-registration is $25, with the fee expected to increase to $30 a few days prior to race day. Tift Park Community Market vendors will set up the holiday market for the public to enjoy shopping and entertainment provided by a variety of vendors from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

There are at least 50 vendors expected at the event, who are preparing to gear toward the Jingle Bell Jog theme.

“It gives the vendors a chance to (showcase) thousands of Christmas items,” Brimberry said.

The runners, usually there just for the racing events, are excited about the new setup this year.

“Everyone I’ve talked to about it … They want to bring the family out and make a day out of it,” Miller said.

Phoebe is one of 170 hospitals nationwide, hospital officials say, that has provided opportunities for CMN supporters to raise more than $2 million since 1997 for the purchase of specialized equipment and programs to help babies and children treated at the hospital.

Race packet pickup will be at Phoebe Healthworks, at 311 Third Ave., from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Dec. 8, or from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on Dec. 9. Participants may pick-up packets on race day.

Tift Park is located at 1300 N. Monroe St. For more information on the race, call (229) 312-1491 or visit jinglebelljog.org. Potential vendors can visit tiftparkcommunitymarket.com.