'Star Wars Day' a hit with Sonoma County Human Race participants

A tall TIE fighter pilot, dressed in the Empire's signature black uniform and bulbous helmet, stood at the starting line of the Sonoma County Human Race Saturday morning, shortly after the horn went off at 8 a.m.

With his voice altered by some mechanism in his helmet, the Dark Side airman quoted a single line from the 1977 blockbuster “Star Wars,” as Human Race runners and walkers went past him.

“Move along,” he said to the throng of women, men and children - many dressed as Stormtroopers, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Yoda and Han Solo - participating in the 38th annual fundraiser and fun run.

A person from a large group of Exchange Bank employees responded, “These are not the droids you're looking for...but it is the bank you're looking for.”

This year, the Human Race adopted a Star Wars theme since it fell on May 4, as in “May the Fourth Be With You,” a play on the film saga's classic line. Last week, the state Legislature officially declared May 4 “Star Wars Day.”

The event Saturday morning featured a 3K and 10K race and festival held at Herbert Slater Middle School on Sonoma Avenue in Santa Rosa. The route started at Herbert Slater Middle School and wound through Howarth and Spring Lake parks, with the longer race going into Trione-Annadel State Park.

Part of a nationwide fundraiser, it is the county's largest collaborative fundraiser, aimed at netting money for local nonprofits and service organizations, including food banks. It drew about 5,000 runners and walkers, many of them participating in teams organized by local businesses and organizations.

This year, the fundraising goal is $350,000, a little bit more than the event raised last year, said Jennifer Kulpa, events and development associate for the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, which coordinated the race and festival.

David Hartman, interim executive director of the Volunteer Center, said the event has raised about $15 million since it was launched in Sonoma County in 1981.

Local running legend Darryl Beardall, 82, who's logged some 300,000 running miles in his life, including more than 200 marathons and four U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, participated Saturday, as he has for 37 of the 38 years the race has been held.

Beardall, who started using a walker last year because of an pinched nerve in his back that's affected his right leg, said he was volunteering for cleanup duty after the race and festivities.

“I like helping out all the organizations and people who are involved with the event,” he said.

Tara Crozat, a corporate trainer for G&C Auto Body who helped organize the company's running contingent of 70 people, said the company had surpassed its fundraising goal.

She said that as of Saturday morning, the company has raised $14,000 for the Redwood Empire Food Bank and the Crozat Family Foundation.

“Our goal was to raise $10,000 so we definitely surpassed that,” Crozat said. “That will put us at $80,000 since our first (Human Race) in 2015.”

For Greenacre Homes & School in Sebastopol, the event is primarily a fun outing for staff and clients. The nonprofit operates four group homes and two special education schools for boys and young men ages 6 to 21, said Ben Aguirre, Greenacre's executive director.

“We have larger fundraisers but we like this event because it allows the staff and students to get together and run,” he said.

Click here more information on the Human Race's fundraising totals and how to contribute.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @renofish.