Quick answer. BCNC's family fun run in Quincy, Massachusetts, began in 2023 as a 5K inside a summer fair and raised $3,810. It moved to its own October date in 2024 ($5,765, 117 participants) and in 2025 added a Kids Dash, age-based fees, a silent auction and six sponsor tiers, raising $13,000 with 250 runners, walkers and supporters.
BCNC (Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center) started a family fun run in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 2023 to mark its work with Asian and immigrant families south of Boston. In three years the event grew from a first-year add-on to a summer fair into a stand-alone fall morning with a 5K, a Kids Dash, a silent auction and six tiers of sponsors. The money tells the story: $3,810 the first year, $5,765 the second and $13,000 the third, according to BCNC's own recaps. It is a useful model for any small nonprofit building a community fun run from scratch.
Year one: a 5K added to a summer fair
The first run was held on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 8 a.m. in Merrymount Park, as part of BCNC's Quincy Family Fun Fair. The event listing describes a 5K that participants could run or walk, in person or virtually, with "all ages" welcome and raffle prizes for in-person participants. BCNC's 2023 recap reports more than 100 participants and $3,810 raised.
The run was volunteer-led from the start. BCNC's planning committee profile introduces co-chairs Jon Eng and Kassandra Tat and three committee members, several of them charity marathoners who had run for BCNC. Eng, a longtime volunteer, helped conceive the run to bring families together, encourage activity and highlight BCNC Quincy's impact. One member described it as BCNC Quincy's first annual event in the city. Raffle prizes in 2023 included a hotel stay, show tickets, restaurant and market gift cards and signed sports memorabilia, with winners listed by bib number.
Three years side by side
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | July 29 (with summer fair) | October 19 | October 25 |
| Name | Family Fun Run | Family Fun Run | Family Fun Run & Walk |
| Format | 5K, run or walk, in person or virtual | 3.1 miles on trails and fields, in person or virtual | Kids Dash and 5K; virtual option listed |
| Turnout | More than 100 participants | 117 participants | 250 runners, walkers and supporters |
| Raised | $3,810 | $5,765 | $13,000 |
From 2023 to 2025 the total rose about 3.4 times (13,000 ÷ 3,810). The jump came mostly in year three, when the total more than doubled (13,000 ÷ 5,765 = 2.26). Turnout is counted differently each year, so per-person comparisons are rough: $5,765 across 117 participants is about $49 each in 2024, while 2025's 250 includes supporters who may not have registered.
Year two: its own date and a volunteer workforce
In 2024 the run moved to October and stood on its own, timed to BCNC's 10th anniversary in Quincy. The 2024 recap describes a 3.1-mile course on Merrymount Park's groomed trails and fields. The City of Quincy Parks and Forestry Department was a partner.
The most transferable detail is how the work was staffed. Volunteers from BCNC's Bamboo Circle group and from corporate partners (a bank, a financial services company, an insurer, an investment firm and the Boston Red Sox) handled setup, posters, water, timing and cheering at the finish. Snacks and drinks were donated, a professional rugby team's mascot posed for photos, there were raffle prizes, and runner times were posted online. Those teams gave a small staff an event-day crew, and the relationship carried over: the insurer and the bank's charitable foundation both appear in 2025's sponsor tiers.
Year three: tiers, fees and a Kids Dash
The 2025 event added "Walk" to its name and broadened the morning. The 2025 recap lists free stretching sessions, a Kids Dash, the 5K, a photobooth, the rugby mascot again, a silent auction with items from local businesses, raffle prizes and drinks from local sponsors. Young runners from a nearby elementary school's run club took part, which BCNC described as a step toward expanding its reach in the South Shore. A Kids Dash is a good fit for the youngest children; the Road Runners Club of America's youth guidance suggests dash events of up to 400 meters for ages five and under.
The 2025 event page shows a fee structure by age and date:
| Registration window | Age 5 and under | Ages 6-15 | Ages 16+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early bird (through Sept. 12) | Free | $15 | $25 |
| Regular (to Oct. 24) | Free | $25 | $35 |
| Race day | Free | $30 | $40 |
Early-bird registrants aged six and up got a free T-shirt, which rewards signing up early and helps with shirt ordering. The page also invited supporters to organize a team.
The recap thanked sponsors in six named tiers: Lead (2 sponsors), Benefactor (4), Patron (5), Community (7), Friend (2) and In-Kind (20). That is 20 cash-level sponsors (mostly local banks, insurers and businesses, plus a few individual donors) and 20 in-kind donors. Neither page lists tier prices.
What other nonprofits can borrow from this fun run
- Start small inside an existing event. A 5K added to a summer fair needed no separate audience in year one. Once it had a track record, it got its own date.
- Recruit corporate volunteer teams for named jobs: setup, water, timing, finish line. See the community and charity fun run guide for staffing.
- Price by age, and make the youngest free. Families with small children come for the Kids Dash and stay for the morning. Test your price ladder with the registration fee guide.
- Build sponsor tiers once you have results to show. Year three's tiered list followed two years of published recaps. The sponsorship guide covers tiers and in-kind asks.
- Keep a virtual option so supporters outside the area can join; our virtual fun run guide explains how to keep it fair.
- Add things to do (stretching, photobooth, auction, raffle) so walkers and supporters have reasons to come.
What the sources don't tell us
BCNC's recaps don't separate fees, sponsorships, auction and donations, and they don't give costs or net proceeds. Registration fees for 2023 and 2024 weren't published on the pages we read. The 2025 recap says the community came together "to raise $13,000"; we read that as the result, but it is not labeled gross or net. Turnout counts use different bases each year.
Compare BCNC with other fun run case studies, see documented totals in the results database, or plan your own from the fun run fundraiser guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much has the BCNC family fun run raised?
According to BCNC's recaps, $3,810 in 2023, $5,765 in 2024 and $13,000 in 2025. The recaps don't say whether these are gross or net.
What does the BCNC fun run fund?
Youth leadership programs, adult English classes and mental health support services for Asian and immigrant families served by BCNC in Quincy.
How much did it cost to enter in 2025?
Children 5 and under were free. Ages 6 to 15 paid $15 early-bird, $25 regular or $30 on race day, and ages 16 and up paid $25, $35 or $40. Early-bird registrants 6 and older got a T-shirt.
Where is the BCNC fun run held?
Merrymount Park in Quincy, Massachusetts, on a 3.1-mile route over groomed trails and fields. A virtual option has been offered for supporters who can't attend.
How did a small nonprofit staff the event?
A volunteer planning committee led the run, and in 2024 volunteer teams from corporate partners handled setup, posters, water, timing and finish-line cheering. The city parks department was a partner.