There were a few serious-looking runners stretching and warming up for the 11th annual Beer Belly Two run/walk through two miles of rural residential streets just west of the post office, 1815 Riverside Drive.

But there were also dads and moms pushing baby carriages and pulling their children in little red wagons. A teen-ager or two rolled toward the starting gate on in-line skates.

Participants strolling to the starting gate were as likely to be holding a can of beer as a bottle of mineral water or Gatorade. There were abs of steel and beer bellies in every direction.

Most of all, there were families. And many families even brought their dogs for a walk.

"This is a chance for the family to get out together," said Don Hando as his gray dog panted in the sun at the end of her leash. "And Nikki is part of the family."

Hando was one of a dozen or more members of the Nier family who gathered to walk the course together.

What began as a laid-back alternative to typical charity runs - the course is only two miles and beer is among the beverages served at checkpoints - has indeed turned into a family event over the years.

"We called it the 'Beer Belly' to get something catchy to get people to come out," said Joan Garrity, Suamico postmaster and a longtime member of the organizing committee. "Nobody gets drunk; heck, the sheriff and his family run in this. It's a family day, the kids all get balloons." How relaxed is the atmosphere? At 10:43 a.m., about three minutes after Benjamin Schaut crossed the finish line to win first-place honors, two women walked past the registration booth on their way to the course and called, "Where do we start?"

More than 1,400 people registered for the event, with proceeds going to Children with Cancer, Crossroads Justice Center & Shelter, the Family Violence Center and Paul's Pantry. The first 10 runs raised $165,000 over the years.

In recent years, the Suamico Volunteer Fire Department has added to the festivities by scheduling its annual picnic on the same day.

"My hat is off to the volunteer firefighters," Garrity said. "They work year round, they train and work hard, and all they get out of it is the satisfaction of knowing they're putting fires out."

Jerry Lardinois started the event in 1988 as a fund-raiser for Children with Cancer because a local mail carrier and a postal clerk each had daughters who contracted the disease, Garrity said.

"Now one girl is in college, but the other has passed away," she said. Garrity says the number of people who have volunteered to help Beer Belly Two runs in the thousands. It's a yearlong effort - the first meeting for the 2000 Beer Belly Two is in three weeks.

"This is the kind of people who help out: When we have our banquet to honor the volunteers, everyone pays for their own meals," Garrity said. "We were told we could take some of the proceeds to pay for the banquet, but they all looked at each other and said, 'No, we can give that much more to the charities if we pay our own way."

The 11th annual fund-raising two-mile run/walk Beer Belly Two will be held on Sunday morning in Suamico. The race is organized by about 12 volunteers, some of whom have been involved since the inception of the race. "The volunteers enjoy the cause so much they stay with us," said Kim Viduski, race director.

Originally the location of the race was in Green Bay, But due to zoning and traffic problems, organizers eventually moved it to Suamico.

So what then, exactly, is the Beer Belly Two? Having fun while benefiting local charities is the bottom line. The logistics of it may confuse some people, however. Recently, Viduski had someone call and ask if the registration fee included the beer and if it was an all-you-can-drink type of thing. No, this is not the case.

Volunteers hand out cups of beer and root beer every half-mile to thirsty participants. According to Viduski, the four stops use to be mandatory, with the racers coming across the finish line with the four cups. Now the stops are voluntary. If you like, swig away - if not, continue to trek. It has been said that it is all in the name, and what a name it is. So why is it called the Beer Belly Two?

"It is called Beer Belly Two because it is a two-mile run/walk - that is what the 'Two' is. A lot of people think it is a second annual, but it's not, it's actually is the 11th annual," said Viduski. "And of course, the 'Beer Belly,' because of the beer stops."

The run/walk has encouraged participants to slosh their way to the finish line since 1988, when a dream of Jerry Lardinois came true. Along with also being a runner, Lardinois formed a committee of postal employees to plan the event. Originally, the proceeds went to the Children With Cancer organization. From then, it branched out to include other nonprofit charities. Little did the founders know then that the race would be running as strong as ever a decade later, or the impact it would have on four local charities - Paul's Pantry, Family Violence Center, Children With Cancer and Crossroads Shelter.

The race itself is divided by choosing to run the two miles competitively or walking, which is noncompetitive.

Dan Kraft and his wife, Connie, come up from Appleton with friends every year. A veteran participant for the past six years, Dan Kraft thinks deciding to run or walk the event depends on certain factors and is decided on an individual basis.

"I ran the first year and I spilled too much beer, so I've been walking ever since," said Kraft.

"For the past couple years, myself and a friend of mine, Gary Bleier, have been the last two across the finish line. In fact, everything has been taken down by the time we finish."

For the record, the finish line and beer tables close at 11:30 a.m. Coordinators are striving to make the Beer Belly a family event as well as an opportunity for friends to get together and have a lot of fun.

"I think they do get a nice variety of families and ages," said Kraft. Plaques are awarded to first, second and third place in each running division. Although most walking participants are local, running participants come from all over. Some come for the beer, some for the prizes and others for the largely sought after T-shirts that the entrants receive.

"When I first started, I was doing a lot of runs and I thought this would be something different and fun and it sounded like a nice T-shirt, too," said Kraft.

Regardless of individual incentives, the common thread of them all is to help local charities.

Last year, almost 1,400 people participated in the race, and with combined pledge and registrations fees, the event raised close to $17,000. This year, coordinators are planning on a huge turnout, hoping to surpass previous totals.

A unique feature in gathering pledges is the participants are able to designate which charity benefits from their hard work. If they have a favorite, they mark it on their pledge sheet. The rest of the proceeds are then divided.

The coordinators get sponsors to cover all costs of the race, including shirts, entry blanks, mailings and all other supplies needed. The race is unique, due to the fact that 100 percent of the registration fees are donated to charities.

Over the past decade, the Beer Belly Two has raised more than $165,000 for local charities. Because of the fun participants have, children with cancer have more hope, abused women and children are finding a way out of violence, impoverished families are beginning to meet their basic nutritional needs, and homeless people are being sheltered. The race is fun and competitive, but moreover, it promises to help people right here in Northeast Wisconsin.