Doughnuts, beer stations offer runners relief

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – More than 200 short-distance running enthusiasts descended upon Delray Beach for a charity run on Saturday. 

The inaugural Slack by the Sea .5K started at about 11 a.m. on Saturday and was scheduled to last an hour. The total distance of the run was .31 miles.

Participants in the run were treated to hydration stations with beer and doughnuts while embarking on the 1,640-foot trek that raised more than $8,000 for the Help Our Wounded Foundation. 

According to the organizer's website, participants were encouraged to dress up for the event. The after-party lasted long after the final person crossed the finish line, with local breweries providing post-race cooldown refreshments.

Beyond the clear health benefits of participating in the rigorous jaunt through the modified Delray Beach parking lot, the true beneficiary was the HOW Foundation, a South-Florida based nonprofit that provides and advocates for hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans facing post-deployment mental health disorders.

Race organizers credit the idea to a similar event in Boerne, Texas, where event organizers have raised $76,000 through two events for Blessings in a Backpack.