The 19th annual Trot to the Beach run raised an estimated $10,000 for local charities after a successful in-person return.
Organizer JP Huggins said just under 150 people participated in Saturday's fundraising run. While the total is still being added up, Huggins said he believes the total will be around the $10,000 mark.
Money raised through the run is split between different charities and organizations.
"All of the proceeds will stay right here in South Kent," said Huggins. "They will be going to the Blenheim Youth Centre and the Word Of Life Soup Kitchen. If there is enough money left over, we usually keep a little bit back for families in the area who need to travel for medical reasons or other hardships."
The money donated helps the youth centre run their afterschool program as well as purchase gift cards and non-perishables for the soup kitchen. The soup kitchen is open Wednesday and Friday for lunches but also operates as a food bank for the Blenheim area.
"They go through money pretty quickly," said Huggins.
During the pandemic, the municipality declared a state of emergency for Erie Shore Drive as well as part of Erieau Road. According to Huggins, this area was a very big part of the route for the event in the past years.
"This year we did a 5-kilometre and 10-kilometre run in Erieau where we normally finish," said Huggins. "We started and finished there this year."
After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, Higgins said the event turned out to be a success.
"The community is so supportive," said Huggins. "Everybody seemed to have a great time."