The Morris County women who co-founded a group that has been replicated nationwide to feed essential workers on the front lines of the coronavirus battle and simultaneously help local restaurants are still on the job -- and planning their next way to help.
The initial mission of the Front Line Appreciation Group, or FLAG, which started in Chatham and Madison and inspired 116 similar groups to form across the nation, was inspired by the pandemic. But as the “curve” of new cases declines in the northeast, what is FLAG’s next mission? More of the same.
The founders say they are planning to take advantage of summer weather for a series of virtual “Run with FLAG” events to raise funds to continue feeding and helping front line workers still on the job.
Front line workers are still at work and with the help of avid runner Lori Wickham of Chatham, FLAG created a series of three 5K “races” to be held on the weekends of July 3 to 5, August 7 to 9 and September 4 to 6.
Wickham said she came up with the idea while on a run and seeing how many of her neighbors were walking and running during the coronavirus shut down.
“It’s an amazing thing they (FLAG) are doing,” she said. “I saw more neighbors walking than in the 13 years I’ve lived here. I’ve done virtual runs. Why not put them together to help local charity?”
The best part? You don’t have to run unless you want to.
“The beauty of the virtual 5K is anyone can do it, regardless of physical condition,” Wickham said. “You can log on and do all the miles all at once or over the span of three days by walking the dog, running or walking to wherever.”
Strolling the boardwalk and walking while grocery shopping counts.
The run series has picked up momentum, including sponsorship from Jack Rabbit, after a customer sent the manager of three local stores the flyer.
“They do a lot of community runs,” Wickham said. “He (the manager) wasn’t familiar with FLAG, but he immediately called in five minutes.”
The run series also picked up sponsorship from Girls on the Run Central Jersey, a non-profit group that encourages elementary and middle school aged girls to develop skills to establish a life time appreciation for health and fitness through running. Girls on the Run helped produce the race and set up the needed software.
Entry fee is $25 for each of three races. Those who register for two races receive a race t-shirt. Registrants for all three races get a t-shirt and FLAG magnet.
Nationally, the 117 groups that use the FLAG model started in Chatham and Madison have raised $2.1 million across country, said Liz Bernich of Chatham, who co-founded FLAG with Gina McGuire of Madison.
The 40 FLAG groups in New Jersey have raised over $1.4 million through donations to fund meals at local restaurants delivered to front line workers where there is a need, Bernich said.
The Chatham-Madison group has raised $240,000 that has been spent in local restaurants to deliver over 32,000 meals in three months, she said.
“It has turned out to be really amazing,” Bernich said.
“At our height we (Chatham-Madison FLAG) were sending 600-700 meals,” she said. “We know our restaurants still need us and front liners are still battling.”And though they are now delivering fewer meals than they were during the height of the panedmic, Bernich said the experience taught her the ever-present need to appreciate health care workers.
“We struck a nerve and appreciated people who never got appreciation before,” she said. “I want to continue FLAG in some shape or form. We’re talking about doing a 5K during nurse appreciation week in the spring, sponsorship of a goodies lounge in hospitals for employees.”
For now, FLAG plans to continue to send meals as a thank you to first responders and will continue to do so as long as the group has funds, she said.
“It’s been a volunteer effort driven by passion,” Bernich said.
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.