Run for Cash race to be held virtually

OLD ORCHARD BEACH —The Run for Cash Memorial 5K  will be held virtually this year, following Center for Disease Control guidelines restricting large social gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now in its 16^th year, The Run for Cash is an annual 5k race and 3 mile walk held in Old Orchard Beach honoring the late Captain Christopher Cash, who died in 2004 while in service with the North Carolina National Guard in Iraq. Cash was posthumously awarded a purple heart and a bronze star.

This year’s race is scheduled for June 27. Race organizers recently announced that instead of being held as a group event in Old Orchard Beach, the race is being held virtually, and participants can run the 5K at any location.

Cash grew up in Old Orchard Beach, graduated from Old Orchard Beach High School in 1985 and was known for his love for running and his athleticism.

The annual race was founded by Cash’s parents, Nancy and Bob Kelley, and in 2018 Veterans Count and Easterseals Maine took over the planning and coordination of the race.

The Run for Cash Memorial 5K raises money to support local military families through Veterans Count Maine and for a local scholarship fund.

The Run for Cash race is one of many events that have either been changed to a virtual event, rescheduled to a later date or canceled as social distancing guidelines have been put into practice during the pandemic.