Bright and early on Saturday, May 16, over 2000 children and teens will descend on Bush’s Pasture Park, bouncing on the soles of their running shoes and ready to race for glory and – more importantly – for fun. Jodi Blackman, Awesome 3000’s lead organizer for United Way, spends months eac h year preparing for the youth fun run which raises thousands to support students, staff and teachers in the Salem-Keizer School District.The runners range in age from toddlers to seniors in high school. Their routes, between 300 meters and 3,000 meters, will go through the park and end at McCulloch stadium at 890 Mission St. S.E.Among Blackman’s duties on Saturday? Manning the golf cart.“I’ve had to go in a golf cart and pick someone up in the middle of a race because they’ve just decided they’re done,” she said, laughing. “And then what I do is I drop them off right as you come into the stadium so they can still finish, and it’s still fun. But if they’ve decided they’re not going to run? They’re not running.” It’s that kind of planning ahead which makes Awesome 3000 run like a well-oiled machine. Blackman said the event only works because of a dedicated team of five United Way staff and 18 volunteers who organize it, plus around 400 other volunteers who help the day-of.Awesome 3000 has been a community staple since 1983, and was run by the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation for years before the organization dissolved during Covid. The fundraiser didn’t happen for three years after that. United Way, which typically doesn’t host major events, took the lead on Awesome 3000 four years ago. They’ve succeeded in raising over $135,000 since 2023 thanks to the volunteers, Blackman said, some of whom have been part of the event for over 20 years. The committee started meeting in January. “They have it down to a science now,” Blackman said. “They really know their stuff, so it makes it really easy for us to do.” It helps that many of the volunteers, including Blackman, were part of the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation before it dissolved, and many have career experience working with kids. They also folded in expertise from United Way’s Enrichment Academy, a student engagement and wellness program that works with thousands of children each day. Part of their winning strategy, Blackman said, is having families pick up their packets at the Capitol Toyota car dealership in advance, days before the races start. The packets include the runner’s jersey, or the number that will be pinned to their t-shirt. It’s also where parents can ask questions about parking and logistics. Organizers also strategically place the right volunteers in key locations throughout the event. The woman who checks in kids has been doing so “forever.” The school district staffer tasked with bringing kids onto the field is a former YMCA staffer who doesn’t shy away from directing them. And Collin Box, the director of Capital Futbol Club, leads the infield where the kids warm up.“All these people are experts. So it makes us look really good,” Blackman said, and laughed.  Announcer Jacob Espinoza calls out race numbers at the Awesome 3000 event held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter) On Saturday, volunteers will start arriving around 5:30 a.m. to set up. The first race will begin at 8:15 a.m.When runners arrive the morning of the event, they’ll get a matching bracelet with their parent or guardian. Then, they’ll say goodbye for the time being. No one, even parents, is allowed onto the inner-field without a volunteer t-shirt or a press pass.Volunteers will shepherd the kids from a waiting area with activities to areas divided by grade level and event, where they’ll do warm ups.Then, another volunteer will take them to the starting line. Youngsters will be accompanied by “rabbits” and “turtles,” members of middle and high school cross country teams who are tasked with being at the front and back of the race. This way, no kid is unaccounted for.  The older kids will also run alongside those who need extra support and encouragement.Also at the starting line: a professional starter, who wears a red jacket.  “He looks very official, and the kids really enjoy that,” she said. “And he starts the race, and off they go.” The seasoned volunteers will keep an eye out for the more anxious kids, positioning them further away from the loud starting gun.When it fires, there will be volunteers lining both sides of the course, cheering them on and rattling cowbells. It spurs the kids on, and makes sure no one wanders off. The golf cart serves as extra insurance if a runner needs to be whisked to the finish line.As soon as the runner finishes, they’ll get sorted into their numbers, then released to the parent or adult with the matching bracelet. Even with around 2,100 kids set to race, it’s nothing like herding cats, Blackman said. It’s very organized. She expects to spend most of her day answering calls to help out where needed, which may involve the golf cart.“To me, the Awesome is like the best thing I do. I do a lot of the programming, and I do the grant writing for United Way, and do some of the funding for our special projects and things. But the Awesome really is one of the things I’m most proud to be a part of,” she said.  Blackman usually sticks around to help with cleaning up afterward, which she expects will take the team until around 2:30 p.m.But this Saturday, Blackman will be in a race of her own, as soon as the runners wrap up around noon.“I’m leaving as soon as the race is done, because I am flying to San Francisco to see a BTS concert,” she said, and laughed. BTS is a Korean-pop boy band, the most famous in the world. But, Blackman knows Bush Pasture Park will be in good hands with her heading out early. “I can do that, because we have amazing staff and amazing volunteers,” she said. “We have fun during the event. That’s what I like about it. We’re not running around all stressed out. We’re having a good time, too.” Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251. SIGN UP: Independent reporting gives Salem a stronger voice and holds those in power accountable on issues ranging from homelessness to health care. Be part of that work by becoming a subscriber. Subscribe today.  The post Expert team of volunteers make organizing thousands of kids look easy at Awesome 3000 appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less