Foggy conditions didn’t stop 290 participants from running and walking in the second annual Charlie Holder, Sr. Memorial 5K race on Saturday, May 17th. The event was presented by BRS Building Company. Mr. Holder passed away on Aug. 6, 2023. In his memory, all net proceeds from the race again benefited the Newport County YMCA and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. This year each organization received $10,000.
Elaine Holder, son Charlie Holder, Jr., daughters Maria Holder and Rachel George, and niece Maureen Weiler presented checks to the Y and the MLK. “I am so grateful to every single person who donated, sponsored, signed up or volunteered at my husband Charlie’s memorial race. We surpassed last year’s numbers, and I am over the moon with gratitude and pride,” said Elaine Holder. “Our whole family made the race happen: my children, grandchildren, nieces, cousins. It was really a labor of love.”
Mike Miller, Executive Director of the Newport County YMCA, and Heather Hole Strout, Executive Director of the MLK Center, spoke about the impact of the race. “This donation helps provide summer camp scholarships so all kids can experience what the Y has to offer,” said Miller. We’re so grateful to the Holder Family for creating this special community event. We will use these funds to offer scholarships to hard-working families so dozens of kids can learn and grow in our all-day Preschool,” said Hole Strout.
The 3.1-mile race started and ended at the Y and followed a course around Tuckerman Ave. / Easton’s Point. The race included a competitive 5K Race, a non-competitive 5K Fun Walk, as well as a virtual option. New in 2025 was a special 100-yard Fun Sprint for kids 12 and under before the race began. Rob Berschinski of Washington, DC won the race with a time of 18:17, with Brett Ely of Barrington, RI seconds behind at 18:33, followed by Jane Kaull of Portsmouth RI at 19:47/
Plans are already underway for next year’s race, scheduled for May 9, 2026. “We’ve had such a great response these past two years. I know my dad is so proud of this race, for what it means for the community, and for the Y and the MLK. We’re already planning for next year”, said Charlie Holder, Jr. “We’ve got some great ideas to make the race even better. Stay tuned!”
