Sterling Down & Dirty 5K at Short Beach a huge success

By Stratford Star on October 14, 2014

Despite heavy downpour and wind, the Sterling House Down & Dirty 5K held on Saturday, Oct. 4, was a tremendous success. Approximately 500 participants came down to Short Beach to crawl through mud, sand and foam to support Sterling House Community Center.

“We are extremely pleased with the success of the first annual Down & Dirty 5K” says Patty Calabrese, Special Events Coordinator for Sterling House. “This event could not have happened without the successful collaboration of the Town of Stratford Police Department, Fire Department, EMS, Fire Department Explorers, EMS Explorers, Public Works, our corporate sponsors, and our many volunteers. The Town of Stratford has always been very supportive of Sterling House and we appreciate that.” Funds raised by the 5K will support the resource connection program at Sterling House, including the Thanksgiving food drive and toy drive.

Dozens of Stratford businesses participated in the Down & Dirty 5K. Sterling House would like to thank Crunch Fitness, Prudential, Aurora Products, Aquarion Water Company, Orthopedic Specialty Group, Sun Products, GE Fairfield, CDS Displays & Designs, Joe Bottone, Matt Giorgio, Pesale Chiropractic, People’s United Bank, Webster Bank, Sikorsky Aircraft, Unifirst, Whiting Turner Construction, B&L Graphics, Hubbell Heating, Pepsico, Two Roads Brewery, Zack’s, Knapp’s Landing, Stratford Land Development, Burns Tire, Dick’s Sporting Goods, NY Life, Encon, Dalling Construction, Robert Scinto Inc., St. Joseph’s Church, and Civil Air Control.

The Sterling House Resource Connection Program is a comprehensive, basic needs assistance program providing food, diapers, pet food, school supplies, Thanksgiving food baskets, holiday gifts, personal care items, and information and referral to families in Stratford and the Greater Bridgeport area. In 2013 the Resource Connection Program provided enough food for over 73,000 meals and serviced 8,725 children, teenagers, and adults. The Resource Connection Program started in 1992 as a small food pantry with a single cabinet and refrigerator. The program is now the largest of its kind in Stratford, servicing thousands of families per year.

Sterling House is a multi-service community center located in the heart of Stratford. Sterling House services more than 13,000 children, teenagers and adults per year by providing child development services, community services, positive youth development services and adult programs to the residents of Stratford and the Greater Bridgeport area. The mission of Sterling House is to foster the physical, social, emotional, artistic and intellectual growth of the communities we serve.