12th Annual Run with the Chums – Another Fin-omenal Year

Racers gather at the starting line, ready to begin the 5K Fun Run.

Thank you to the 358 racers and 25 volunteers who joined us for the 12th Annual Run with the Chums 5K Fun Run and kids Smolt Sprint obstacle course! The heavy clouds on the horizon and some showers at the end of the event did not dampen the fun had on September 14th in Birch Bay celebrating healthy water, healthy habitat, and healthy people!

Racers of all ages and speeds ran or walked five kilometers of beautiful roads and trails with views of the Salish Sea, Whatcom farmland, and more. Signs interspersed along the route educated participants about how to keep our water, salmon, and orcas healthy and thriving. Most managed to finish before any rain started to fall!

A young racer leads the way down the course.

Racers under ten years old competed in the Smolt Sprint obstacle course. They wove through, ducked under, and leapt obstacles representing what a salmon smolt encounters on their way to the ocean. To guide them along their path, were the ever-favorite mascots Sammy the Salmon and Wayne Drop.

Before and after the race, participants took pictures with lovable mascots and checked out the seven educational booths. Whatcom Conservation District, Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Management District (BBWARM), Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA),  Whatcom Land Trust, Whatcom County Library System, Garden of the Salish Sea, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife were all present with interactive activities.

After the race concluded, prizes were awarded in a raffle and to the fastest runners and families, best dressed, fastest dogs, most unique animal (pig on a leash), and for those who answered trivia questions from the signs along the race!

Overall, we feel this year was a successful celebration of healthy water, healthy habitat, and healthy people! We are excited to continue bringing the community together for this fun event of celebration and education about our watershed. We’ll see you out there next year!

A placing finisher with their swag bag.

Thank you to our sponsors whose generosity makes the event possible: Whatcom Conservation District, BBWARM,  NSEA, Blaine Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2, BP at Cherry Point, Birch Bay Water And Sewer District, Whatcom Water Alliance, and Dave and Deb Hiller eXp Realty.

Thank you to our generous raffle donors: Birch Bay Bike Shop, Beach Cat Print Shop, Drayton Harbor Oysters, Lumpia Luv, Cute but Crazy Socks, HYDAWAY Collapsible Water Bottles, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BBWARM, NSEA, Dave and Deb Hiller eXp Realty, Birch Bay Water And Sewer District, and Whatcom Land Trust.

If you would like to join in the fun next year, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and/or subscribe to our monthly E-News to be one of the first to hear about the event and our other events and programs!

Looking for more ways to support salmon and orcas? Join us on Saturday, October 19th for the 7th Annual Orca Recovery Day! Whatcom Conservation District, NSEA, and Whatcom Land Trust are joining forces to host a work party restoring Chinook and Coho salmon habitat along California Creek on land managed by the Whatcom Land Trust. Restoring salmon habitat is a critical way to support our salmon and the Southern Resident Orcas that depend on them.