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The Hot Chocolate Run raises funds for Safe Passage, the Hampshire County organization providing shelter, counseling, and advocacy services to women and children who have experienced domestic violence. This event is Safe Passage’s largest fundraising event. We are so fortunate to have the support of thousands of participants and dozens of business sponsors and donors.
The Hot Chocolate Run is a 5K run and a 2 mile walk through downtown Northampton, Massachusetts. The event is held the first week of December–a chilly time of year, for sure, but a great time to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate! Each runner and walker receives a cup of homemade hot chocolate in a collector’s mug, designed by syndicated cartoonist Hilary Price of Rhymes With Orange. Click here to learn more about this wonderful event!
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2010-11-09 ::
Sarah
What an amazing, beautiful, festive, fun, incredible day. Thank you ALL for your incredible support!
We won’t know the final tally for a few days but it’s quite safe to say we EXCEEDED our goal of raising $135,000 for Safe Passage. And it’s all thanks to you!
A few quick updates for tonight:
Race results are posted here.
Age graded results are here.
Questions or problems with the results? Email the timing company.
Please take our survey to tell us what worked, what could be improved, and more. Your feedback really helps us!
We ran out of mugs! We are so sorry. Please email us at hotchocolaterun@safepass.org if you need a mug. We are ordering more tomorrow and will let you know when they’re available to pick up!
THANK YOU!
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2011-12-04 ::
Sarah
Tell everyone why you’ve decided to support Safe Passage through the Hot Chocolate Run.
Once again, the Hot Chocolate Run will provide stickers for participants to customize and wear to show why they are participating in the event.
Will you walk in honor of a survivor? Run as another man against domestic violence? Walk to keep kids safe? Run in support of healthy relationships? Let everyone know!
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2011-11-04 ::
Sarah
Since our very first year (and our very first mug!) syndicated cartoonist Hilary Price of Rhymes with Orange has generously created the Polar Bear & Penguin artwork for the Hot Chocolate Run.
This year, the penguin has signed up to volunteer at the Hot Chocolate Tent to serve hot chocolate to runners and walkers!
Want to meet Hilary? Visit her at this year’s Open Studios event at the Arts & Industry Building in Florence. Over 50 artists and craftspeople will open their doors to visitors and shoppers!
Open Studios
221 Pine St., Florence, MA
November 11 & 12
10:00-5:00
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2011-11-04 ::
Sarah
Thanks to our amazing participants who are going the extra mile to support Safe Passage!
Once you register for the Hot Chocolate Run, you’ll receive an email inviting you to help make this year’s Hot Chocolate Run even more successful. Please take a few minutes to invite your friends, family members, and coworkers to sponsor you as a participant in the Hot Chocolate Run! Donations you collect will provide much-needed support for Safe Passage’s counseling, advocacy and shelter programs.
It’s easy to get started. Just visit https://www.pledgereg.com/ and search for your name. You can send the URL of your page to your family and friends right away, or log in to edit your page, change your fundraising goal, or upload a photo. Once you’re logged in, you can also click “Donor List/Email” and enter email addresses, then click “Invite Donors” to automatically send an email inviting people to make a donation.
We’re collecting some great prizes for people who are going the extra mile by raising money for Safe Passage.
Everyone who raises $100 or more will receive a great tote bag and giveaways from our sponsors. The person who raises the most will win a 16GB iPad 2 with wi-fi from our friends at Yes Computers!
This year we’ve added team fundraising. Link your fundraising page with others to form a fundraising team! The team that raises the most will win $500 in gift cards to downtown Northampton merchants.
Other prizes for top individuals and teams include gift cards to Thornes Marketplace, Bueno y Sano, and Roberto’s and Sylvester’s Restaurants, and massage gift certificates from The Healing Zone and Well-Being Therapeutic Massage & Body Work. More prizes coming soon!
Have you already started collecting donations? Thank you! If you have any questions or need help, please contact Sarah Smith at sarah@safepass.org.
PRIZE INFORMATION:
- Prizes awarded for individuals and teams will be based on totals (money received via PledgeReg.com and any cash/checks received at the event itself) as of 9:30 on event day. Because many people turn in cash and checks at the event, final tallies will not be available at the event. We will contact winners by Tuesday, December 6.
- Team totals are only valid if they appear on PledgeReg.com. You must follow the instructions on PledgeReg to set up a fundraising team. See this picture for an example of a fundraising team page:
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2011-10-13 ::
Sarah
When the Hot Chocolate Run began in 2004, event founders Jen and John made hot chocolate for 400 people (nearly 40 gallons) in stockpots in their kitchen.
After we outgrew Jen and John’s kitchen, we moved our hot chocolate operation into the kitchen at First Churches. The event grew and grew, and we began asking local restaurants to help. In 2009, we had so many participants that we needed an astounding 300 gallons of hot chocolate–so we went to the one place downtown capable of mixing beverages in such a large 
quantity. The Northampton Brewery happens to be in the perfect location: right across the street from the event!
Before dawn, the brewers at the Northampton Brewery mix the hot chocolate in one of their huge brewing kettles, and then heat the mixture slowly. Volunteers transport the hot chocolate to the event in big thermoses, and then serve hot chocolate to thousands of people! We simply could not pull this off without the Brewery’s help.
Our milk is local and is donated by Our Family Farms, a cooperative of small family-run dairy farms in Hampshire and Franklin Counties. We’re so happy to serve hot chocolate made with local milk!
For the eighth year in a row, the cocoa, 
sugar, and pure vanilla extract is being donated by our friends at Northampton Coffee. We’re so grateful for the continued support of this terrific local company. This year we’ll use hundreds of pounds of cocoa and sugar and nearly three gallons of vanilla!
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2011-10-13 ::
Sarah
Proceeds from the Hot Chocolate Run support Safe Passage’s counseling, shelter and advocacy services for women and children who have experienced domestic violence. Your support of this event makes an incredible difference! Thank you so much for your support.
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2011-10-11 ::
Sarah
