The success of the 2016 Tuscaloosa Half Marathon translates into $37,000 raised for local charities! This brings the total to $177,000 in just four years.

The half marathon attracts a field of runners from around the country, and was named in 2016 as the RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) State Championship Race for Alabama. The mission of the Tuscaloosa Half Marathon is "to encourage healthy habits and exercise, while fostering an event that enhances the Tuscaloosa community."

The $37,000 raised in 2016 will be split up with $12,000 going to each ReadBAMARead, Kiwanis Club of Greater Tuscaloosa, and Arts .n Autism.  The other $1,000 will go to the race's title sponsor, the local animal shelter Callie’s Place.

More on each organization.

ReadBAMARead utilized THM funds to replace books in the schools destroyed by the 2011 tornado, which enabled schools to pay the salaries of their librarians. ReadBAMARead now partners with the University of Alabama’s College of Education in an effort to encourage West Alabama’s K-2 students to commit to reading one book every night with their families. ReadBAMARead desires to plant a passionate seed of reading within these young readers that will blossom into the necessary skills needed for academic success.

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Tuscaloosa supports children’s programs and charities, including the ELIMINATE Project, Cure SMA, Boys and Girls Clubs of West Alabama, RISE, The Thomas Plott Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis and the Literacy Council of West Alabama. Arts ‘n Autism provides services for children, adolescents and young adults in West Alabama affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They offer specialized after-school programs as well as Summer Camp.

Arts ‘n Autism provides services for children, adolescents and young adults in West Alabama affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They offer specialized after-school programs as well as Summer Camp. Arts ‘n Autism also provides pre-vocational and vocational training, social skills training and job coaching for young adults affected by ASD.

See photos of the Tuscaloosa Half Marathon Co-Race Director Tammy Denson presenting each children's charity with a check.  There's a celebrity in the ReadBAMARead photo, as it features Dana Duckworth, head coach of the Alabama gymnastics team.  Roll Tide!

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