This year, we’re excited to introduce a new aspect of the Krispy Kreme Challenge — fundraising— in order to further support the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. Participants will be able to fundraise individually or as part of a team. There will be two fundraising periods:

• During the first window, lasting from November 1 to December 1, any individual who raises at least $500 will receive an automatic race entry.
• During the second window, lasting from December 1 to February 1, the team competition will take place. Teams are made up of 5-10 individuals, and the team that raises the most money during this window will receive the inaugural Krispy Kreme Challenge Cup.
• Individual fundraising will also continue through this period, and a separate award will be given to the individual who raises the most money between November 1 and February 1.

2400 calories, 12 doughnuts, 5 miles, 1 hour. The mantra of the Krispy Kreme Challenge epitomizes the test of physical fitness and gastrointestinal fortitude. What started as a challenge among ten friends has transformed into a nationally publicized charity race, and the number one tradition to complete before graduating from North Carolina State University.

February 9, 2013, will see more runners engulf the Memorial Bell Tower than ever before with our new race participant capacity set for 8,000 racers for the 9th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge.

Participants begin the Challenge at the Memorial Belltower on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Runners then travel 2.5 miles through historic downtown Raleigh to the Krispy Kreme located at the intersection of Peace and Person Streets, where they attempt to consume one dozen original glazed doughnuts. The hardest part of the Challenge awaits them as they run 2.5 miles back to the Memorial Belltower. This is the Krispy Kreme Challenge.

Since its inception, the Krispy Kreme Challenge has been proud to support the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. The mission of the hospital is to provide the highest quality care to patients from all 100 counties in North Carolina, regardless of a family’s ability to afford the services. The North Carolina Children’s Hospital is a specially-designed hospital that caters to the needs of children that are sick or injured, and their families. This state-of-the-art facility was designed with children in mind, and provides conveniences to the patients that help them to just be kids, such as a 2-story play atrium designed to look like an outdoor park. In addition, the hospital has the state’s only fully accredited hospital school, which keeps patients from kindergarten to 12th grade on top of their studies. The medical amenities include a newborn critical care facility, a cardiac care unit, a comprehensive cancer center, and more.

The funds go to a program called the NC Children’s Promise Grants. These grants are proposed by employees who see a need in their program to provide better care and services to children and their families. Grants fund a diverse set of programs, some of the past grants include:

• Distraction items to alleviate fear and anxiety associated with invasive surgery
• Educational simulators to improve skills of surgeons
• Family orientation videos describing all aspects of care for patients with various illnesses
• Practice manikin dolls to teach home care skills to parents with premature babies
• Equipment for adolescent support groups
• Establish a Patient and Family Resource Center in the Children’s Hospital

These are just a few of the many projects and services that the Krispy Kreme Challenge has helped to make reality. Visit the Children’s Hospital website for more information on the amazing service they provide to our state’s children.

Please consider donating to this wonderful cause and supporting the children of North Carolina when you register for this year’s Krispy Kreme Challenge!