PORTLAND, Ore.—On your mark, get set, go and register for SMPTE 2020’s 4K 4Charity Fun Run that, like the conference, will take place virtually this year. Registration is now open for the event for both the 4K and 8K distances.

The 4K 4Charity Fun Run is an annual event that raises money for nonprofits that are focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in the technology industry. This year’s beneficiaries include Technovation, a global tech education nonprofit for girls and families to become leaders, creators and problem-solvers, and UNICEF, working with frontline responders in more than 190 countries to keep children healthy and learning, as well as UNICEF efforts to deal with COVID-19.

As for the run, participants will sign up for either the 4K (2.49 miles) or 8K (4.97 miles) distance. Being a virtual event, they will run, walk or jog that distance at a time and place convenient for them by Dec. 16. They are encouraged to share how they are participating on social media with the tag @4K4Charity. Registrants will still receive a finishers medal via mail.

This is the final 4K 4Charity run for 2020, after having conducted virtual runs for the virtual IBC and NAB conferences. NAB’s virtual run raised $21,000.

The event is hosted by AWS Elemental.

The registration deadline, to either run or simply donate,  is Dec. 16. For more information, visit www.4k4charity.com/smpte.  

PORTLAND, Ore.—IBC is going virtual this year and so is the fun run that has become a staple of the conference.

The 4K 4Charity Fun Run has announced that it is going virtual for IBC 2020 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with participants able to run from anywhere while continuing to raise funds for organizations that support increased diversity and inclusion in technology.

The NAB version of this annual event also took place virtually earlier this year. The event raised $21,000.

Interested participants can choose between the 4K (2.49 miles) or 8K (4.97 miles) distances, which they then complete at their own pace; it can be completed over multiple days. All registrants who finish their chosen distance by Oct. 30 will receive a finisher’s medal by mail after the conclusion of the event. Participants are encourage to share their runs on social media.

This year’s IBC event will be to benefit Technovation and Unicef. Technovation is a global education nonprofit that supports underrepresented young people, especially girls, to become innovators and leaders through engineering and technology. Unicef is working with health experts to provide guidance on how to handle COVID-19.

For more information or to register, visit www.4k4charity.com/ibc.  

PORTLAND, Ore.—The 4K 4Charity Fun Run isn’t breaking with tradition just because there wasn’t an NAB Show this week, but it is adapting to the current situation as a result of the pandemic. Organizers for the annual run/walk have announced that it will now take place virtually, with registration and donations now open.

To take part in the event, users can register online where they select either a 4K (2.49 miles) or 8K (4.97 miles) distance, plot a course and print out a race bib. They can then complete the route at their own pace, either in a single day or over several within the event registration and donation windows. A finisher’s packet will be sent to all registrants at the conclusion of the event period.

There are multiple organizations that will receive support from the donations for this event, including UNICEF and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), which aims to build a more equitable industry by teaching programming to K-12 girls, as well as inspiring Latinas to pursue careers in tech. Funds will also be raised to help those impacted by COVID-19.

“Though current events are keeping us physically apart, this virtual approach provides a positive way to bring our industry together on behalf of a great cause,” said Adam Schmidt , executive vice president, sales, marketing and professional services for Planar systems, one of the event’s sponsors.

Registration is now open through 4K4Charity.com/nab. The donation window is open until June 1. 

PORTLAND, Ore.—The 2019 NAB 4K 4Charity Fun Run, which is put on annually by AWS Elemental at the convention, reached the goal that it had hoped for, as the total proceeds from this year’s run brought the 4K 4Charity gross proceeds to $1 million since its founding in 2014.

For the 2019 event at NAB, more than $68,000 was raised for Girls Who Code, a national non-profit that works to close the gender gap in technology and change the image of what a programmer looks like, and set a record for individual registrants at 735. Elemental reports that registration was up 30% from the 2018 NAB Show, while the number of runners and walkers on the course was up 33%.

“Since 2014, more than 10,000 people have helped increase equity in the media industry through their support of the 4K 4Charity Fun Run,” said Laura Barber, co-founder of the 4K 4Charity Fun Run Series. “Thanks to the commitment and generosity of sponsors and individual registrants alike, more than $1 million in proceeds are being put to work today to help people marginalized by our society and educational systems find opportunities for success. With your on-going support, we are enriching our industry by making it better for everyone.”

The next 4K 4Charity event will take place on Sept. 14 during the 2019 IBC Show in Amsterdam. Information can be found at 4k4charity.com/ibc.

PORTLAND, Ore.—For the last five years, before the doors of the Las Vegas Convention Center open on Tuesday morning of the NAB Show, hundreds of show attendees have been lacing up their running shoes and taking part in the 4K 4Charity Fun Run organized by AWS Elemental.

This year’s run will be a particularly meaningful one, as it not only is the fifth edition at NAB, but the funds raised through all 4K 4Charity events are expected to put the organization over the $1 million mark in funds raised since its founding in 2014.

The late Sam Blackman, former CEO and co-founder of AWS Elemental, and AWS Elemental PR Lead Laura Barber founded the race and first launched it at IBC in Amsterdam in 2014, hoping to provide a unique and healthy networking alternative at trade shows, while also providing an opportunity to give back. “It was an extremely organic event; we were hopeful people would show up, and in fact they did,” says Barber.

“This was really a great expression of Sam’s vision and his focus, strong focus, and support on equity in the [industry] and in the communities in which we do business,” she continues.

That support has only grown among other industry professionals. The first NAB Show race was in 2015, and since then Barber says that turnout has been growing on average by double-digit percentages event to event and year to year. In addition to annual races at IBC and NAB, runs also take place in Portland, Ore., and just last year started at SMPTE in Los Angeles.

Through all these events, the 4K 4Charity has been able to support many organizations that seek to increase the diversity and equality of those in the broadcast and technology industries. Funds have been raised to contribute to a coding academy for girls in Gaza; for the underwriting of computer science classes for economically disadvantaged primary school students in Amsterdam; the purchase of 135 laptops and 14 smart TVs for a high school that supports underserved students in the Portland area; and more. At this year’s NAB race, the funds will go to Girls Who Code, which focuses on closing the gender gap in technology.

“The common theme to all of this is that the 4K 4Chairty Fun Run and the wonderful individuals who support it each year or at each industry event, our very generous sponsors and of course the trade associations—NAB, IBC and recently SMPTE—are contributing to elevating the issue of increased diversity within our industry,” Barber said. “But not just talking about it, actually taking meaningful action to do something to support give those who are underrepresented more opportunities within the tech industry and to pursue the kinds of technology education that are required for a professional career.”

In addition to crossing that $1 million mark, Barber explains that another exciting development is happening with this year’s 4K run at NAB. An anonymous donor has pledged to provide additional funding based on the turnout for this year’s race. If between 300 and 500 people run the course, the donor will provide $10,000; that will jump to $20,000 with 500-750 people running and $30,000 if more than 750 people take to the course on April 9.

“I invite, together with NAB and with all of our sponsors, everybody who is interested in the run to please come out to Sunset Park that Tuesday… and join us in the run, because we [could] be able to not quite double, but very nearly, the amount raised if we get 750 or more people out there,” expresses Barber.

However, Barber is aware that sometimes trade show schedules can be hectic. And so if for whatever reason you are not able to run but would like to contribute to 4K 4Charity’s efforts, individuals can register and opt only to contribute. '

All donations made by participants go to the selected non-profit; average donations are about $20. Meanwhile, 50 percent of contributions from event sponsors go to the non-profit and the other 50 help with offsetting event costs.

Things won’t stop when that $1 million benchmark is reached. Barber describes 4K 4Charity like a startup: “that first million takes a little bit longer, and we hope we can get to the next million in the next year or the next two years.”

And in addition to continuing to support charitable organizations, 4K 4Charity wants to make the experience more engaging and rewarding for the participants as well. Different features are currently in development, including the possibility of adding an 8K distance.

No matter how the event looks in the next year or in the next five, Barber and Blackman’s original goal will remain the same. “We’re going to see the needle move in the media & entertainment industry and the technology industry in terms of closing the gender gap and providing more opportunities for everyone,” Barber concludes.

LAS VEGAS—An event fixture of the NAB Show since 2014, the 2019 edition of the 4K 4Charity Fun Run organized by Elemental is expected to cross a major milestone: more than $1 million in donations. Individuals can help them reach that goal starting today as registration for the 4K race is now open.

The funds raised through the event are donated to nonprofits with a specific focus on increasing equity in technology. This year, 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit Girls Who Code, a national nonprofit that works to close the gender gap in technology and change the image of a programmer.

The 4 kilometer walk/run will take place around Sunset Park in Las Vegas on April 9 at 7:30 a.m. Complimentary transportation will be offered to and from select hotels, and light snacks and beverages will be available before and after the event.

Individuals can register for the event here.

LAS VEGAS—Elemental Technologies, the leader in software-defined video solutions, today announced the next 4K 4Charity Fun Run, which takes place Tuesday, April 25, 2017 in Las Vegas in conjunction with the 2017 NAB Show. Sponsorships are now available and participant registration for the event is open at www.4K4Charity.com. Beginning with the 2017 NAB Show event, the 4K 4Charity Fun Run series will distribute all proceeds toward raising awareness and funding for organizations that work in support of increased diversity and inclusion.

Since launching in 2014, the 4K 4Charity Fun Run Series has attracted nearly 4,000 participants and raised close to $400,000 for non-profit organizations. Officially endorsed by NAB Show, the April, 2017 event will raise proceeds for Mercy Corps, which works with the most vulnerable women and adolescents in crises, providing safe places, education opportunities, job skills training and community engagement projects to help them build a strong tomorrow, and will also contribute to Women Who Code, a global non-profit dedicated to inspiring women to pursue and excel in technology careers and to helping them become leaders and role models in the tech industry.

“We’re heartened by what the 4K 4Charity Fun Run Series has achieved to date, thanks to the generosity of sponsors and participants, in raising awareness and funds for vital causes,” said Laura Barber of Elemental and co-founder of the series. “As we look forward, we recognize that the media and entertainment industry – like so many industries – can and must do more to support diversity and inclusion. With the support of NAB Show and its members, it’s an honor to devote 100 percent of this year’s proceeds toward that mission.”

Among the sponsors for the 4K 4Charity Fun Run at the 2017 NAB Show are industry leaders Aspera, an IBM Company, Verimatrix, Dolby, Accedo, Irdeto, ChyronHego, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and media partners NewBay Media and Rapid TV News. The deadline for sponsorship commitments is Friday, March 3, 2017. Inquiries may be directed to Kate Incerto at incertok@elemental.com.

“We’re pleased to support this wonderful NAB Show tradition and delighted to help the industry give back to the cause of increased diversity and inclusion – an issue of great importance to the people and organizations that make up our community,” said Chris Brown, Executive Vice President, Conventions and Business Operations at NAB Show. “What an inspired way to celebrate the hard work and innovation our industry creates, as evidenced by the tremendous growth in participation we’ve seen every year. May this year’s event set another fundraising record!”

The 4km (2.49 mile) running and walking event begins at 7:30 am and loops through beautiful Sunset Park. Transportation will be provided free of charge to and from major NAB Show hotels and Sunset Park beginning at 6:45 am the day of the event. After completing the course, participants can celebrate over light snacks and beverages. For more information, please visit www.4K4Charity.com/NAB.

Space is limited for this special event. Sign up today at www.4K4Charity.com.

PORTLAND, ORE.—2017 NAB Show attendees better get ready to run, as the annual 4K 4Charity Fun Run organized by Elemental Technologies is now open for registration and sponsorships. The run has taken place each year at the NAB Show since 2014 and has raised nearly $400,000 for non-profit organizations, according to Elemental.

This year, the event will donate all its proceedings to raise awareness and funding for Mercy Codes, which works with vulnerable women and adolescents in crises, providing safe places, education opportunities, job skills training and community engagement projects. Contributions will also be made to Women Who Code, a global non-profit dedicated to inspiring women to pursue and excel in technology careers and become leader and role models in the tech industry.

Registration for the 4K 4Charity Fun Run is now open at www.4K4Charity.com.

Current sponsors for the event include Aspera, Dolby, Verimatrix, Accedo, Irdeto, ChyronHego, NAB and media partners NewBay Media and Rapid TV News. The deadline for sponsorship commitment is Friday, March 3. Inquires may be directed to Kate Incerto at incertok@elemental.com.

The run will take place on Tuesday, April 25, at 7:30 a.m. in Sunset Park. Transportation will be offered to and from major NAB Show hotels.