Green Bay News-Chronicle Thursday, June 13, 1991 - Front Page
Green Bay Press-Gazette Monday, June 29, 1998 page B1
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by Beth Gorczyca Press-Gazette SUAMICO - A person didn't need a big gut to walk or run in Sunday's 10th annual Beer Belly Two race. But a love for the barley-based beverage sure didn't hurt. Sunday Morning, more than 1,500 people walked or ran the 2-mile race through the fields and farms of Suamico to raise money for four local charities - Children with Cancer, the Family Violence Center, Paul's Pantry and the Crossroads Shelter - and drink free beer. "The race is for a good cause," said Marge Tunnon of Green Bay, who has walked the Beer Belly for five years. "Plus, it's a lot of fun." Over the last decade, the race has raised more than $150,000 for the four charities, said John Dedo, race co-director. He expected this year's race to raise $17,000. Throughout the 2-mile route, racers battled wet heat and a dry mouth. Every half-mile, volunteers handed thirsty runners and walkers glasses of cold beer and root beer. |
"The beer gave you the incentive to make it to the next beer line, make it another half-mile;" said Bruce Hietpas of Little Chute who ran the race with his friend Leon Vanevenhoven of Kaukauna. "He ran. I drank a couple of beers."
Dedo said every year about 1,500 people take part in the race and even more people donate. But Vanevenhoven said it still shocked him to see all the racers and supporters gathered Sunday morning. "I thought it would be small, but it was bigger than some of the other races I have been in this summer," Vanevenhoven said. "I run about one or two races a week, I got to do something to pay for these shoes, right?" For other people, shoes played little importance. Kathy Mathieson of Allouez walked through the crowds after the race in bare feet, but feeling good. After all, a few minutes earlier, Mathieson placed first in the women's division with a time of about 11 minutes. "The course was great. I love running on dirt courses," Mathieson said. "I hate races, but I love to run, and today was a perfect day to run." It didn't start out perfect. |
Pelting rain, crackling lightning and strong winds kept Dedo awake part of Saturday night. He awoke to more rain and lightning Sunday morning.
But by race time, most of the bad weather had blown away, leaving a path of sunshine and heat. The near 90-degree heat sent many racers down the road to the Suamico Volunteer Firefighters Association picnic, where there was plenty of cold beer and cool water. Debbie Pierquet, Cindie Laubach and a group of friends gathered at the picnic after the race, hoping to catch their breath and cool down near firefighters who battled each other in a water fight. Armed with powerful fire hoses, more than 30 pairs of firefighters sprayed each other and the crowd as they tried to push a barrel with their hoses. "We haven't gotten wet enough," said Laubach, of Green Bay, as a fine mist showered her. "We're hoping to get sprayed even more so we can cool down a little. All I can say is God bless the people on the race route who sprayed us with hoses and water." |
Green Bay News-Chronicle Friday, June 14, 1991 - Local/State page 5A
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By Mark Weiss News-Chronicle Reporter The race is called Beer Belly II, but it's not really the second annual Beer Belly race, it's the third, and you really don't have to have a beer belly to enter and you don't even have to like beer, but you're supposed to have four beer cups in your hand when you finish, but you really don't have to ... Got that? Actually, all you need to remember is the fun run has raised more than $16,000 for local charities the last two years and is shooting for a goal of $20,000 this year. Beer Belly II is scheduled for Sunday, starting at 10:30 a.m. The starting point is near the intersection of Lime Kiln Road and East Mason Street and the two-mile course, for either runners or walkers, winds around a few residential streets before ending in the parking lot of JP's tavern, 720 Lime Kiln Road. "A lot of people think it's (the race) unique because of the four beer stops along the course. But I think it's unique because 100 percent of the entrance fees stay in our area and go to local charities," said Jerry Lardinois, one of the organizers of the event. |
The entire $7,000 organizing budget is donated by sponsors, meaning all the entry fees go to charity.
The fun run, which made its debut three years ago, is planned and staged by postal employees throughout the area who donate their time. "The first year, we expected around 150 people, but we wound up with 748. Last year we had 1,170," Lardinois said. The race raised $3,600 the first year and more than $13,000 last year. What's the secret to the race's appeal? Could it be the gimmick in which participants are required to grab a 5-ounce cup of beer at each of four stops along the course, finishing with the cups in their hands? Of course, whether the racers consume the beer or not is up to them. "For the non-drinkers, we have root beer. the real serious runners just fill up and spill it on the ground," Lardinois said. Could it be the water hoses that are turned on participants who seem to be sweltering more than others? Could it be the Beer Belly T-shirts, distributed to every entrant? |
"We've had requests for those shirts from all over the country. Even one from Japan," Lardinois said.
Lardinois said the run itself is patterned after a charity race he saw in Milwaukee. The entry fees will be divided among four different local charities - Children With Cancer, the Family Violence Center, Paul's Pantry and the Crossroads homeless shelter. "It's a chance to run or walk along a nice two-mile course and have a little fun. It's a chance to really do something for someone," Lardinois said. The entry fee for the race is $10. Participants can register right up until the time of the race. There'll also be awards for the top finishers in each of five age groups, ranging from 13 to 60 and older. And about those beer bellies ... "There are very few people out there with beer bellies. I thought of the name while I was out running," said Lardinois, who takes part in about 35 races a year. "My wife said, 'Don't use that (name).' But now it's really caught on," he said. |
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"Division Dispatch" Vol. 4 No. 9, October 1989 - MSC page 12
United States Postal Services - Newsletter for the Employees of the Milwaukee Division
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In 1987 Jerry Lardinois, Bob Cramer and Bob Mayer went to a race in Milwaukee that featured mandatory beer stops. At the 1st beer table we stopped and drank the beer as we found out that everyone else grabbed the beer and gulped it down as they continued running. Jerry decided that it would be a good idea if we would start a charity run in Green Bay and that to be unique we would call it the Beer Belly Two. This was for two miles with four mandatory beer stops or 3.23 Beerlometers.
Original committee was the above three individuals and Tony Vanderbloemen was added as Treasurer. For the first several years the race was promoted almost exclusively by postal employees. The first race was held in 1989 starting on the South frontage road along W Mason Street, between Packerland Drive and Hobart Street. This first race drew 996 runners (430 male and 566 females). The proceeds were given to "Children with Cancer".
As the race expanded, more charities were added: Paul's Pantry, Cross Road Shelter, and Family Violence Center.
The committee gets sponsors to cover all costs of the race, including, shirts, entry blanks, mailing costs, and all other supplies. These costs run in the neighborhood of $10,000 per year. We also get many supplies donated. This allows the entire amount received from registrations, etc. to go to the charities. We have made over $167,000 for these charities in the past nine years. This year will be our tenth race.
Jerry Lardinois retired and moved to Florida two years ago, but he still comes up and runs in this race.
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