The Annual BankNewport 10 Miler, scheduled for June 5th, 2022, expects more than 2,000 runners to take on the streets of Newport. Two of those participants will be officers from the East Providence Police Department, running in full tactical gear and as part of efforts to raise funds for the nonprofit, Cops for Kids with Cancer.
Sgt. Warren Caldwell and Sgt. Roland Estrada will be running the 10-mile course, which starts and ends at Fort Adams State Park, wearing a full Special Reaction Team (aka SWAT) kit, which includes BDUs (the uniform clothing), a Kevlar helmet, tactical vest, and boots. The gear weighs approximately 30 pounds. Caldwell and Estrada train on their own time outside of work hours, sometimes training in the gear to get used to it. “I think the time it takes and the discomfort of training and running the race is nothing compared to what these kids and their families go through,” says Caldwell. “I hope this organization and its donations help ease their discomfort.”
Caldwell has run the BankNewport 10 Miler in the past, also in gear and for this cause. “Cops for Kids with Cancer is a great organization and I recognize how fortunate many of us are to have our health throughout our lives, and with that I have managed to stay fit and enjoy sports,” says Caldwell, “I thought of this idea to do the race with our gear to raise funds to raise awareness and money toward the organization. I have two sons myself and it would kill me to watch them get sick, so I think any opportunity to bring a smile and support to not only a child, but the family, is worth every moment of training and completion of this endeavor.”
The BankNewport 10 Miler features a well-loved course that starts and finishes in Fort Adams. After exiting Fort Adams State Park, runners will follow Ocean Drive to Bellevue Avenue, passing by some of Newport’s most stunning scenery and iconic landmarks. After passing Marble House and Rosecliff, the course then turns on to Ruggles Avenue before ultimately returning to Ford Adams for a finish inside the walls of the historic structure. Since its inception in 2012, the event has donated and fundraised more than $90,000 for the event’s charitable beneficiaries, including the Fort Adams Trust and the Boys and Girls Club of Newport County, as well as runners fundraising for causes close to their hearts, like Caldwell and Estrada.
To support the East Providence Officers’ cause and to donate, visit https://copsforkidswithcancer.org/team-tommy/
For more information on the BankNewport 10 Miler, or to register, visit www.newport10miler.com