Portland running store just sponsored a fun run in my small town - WTF?!

[jmbar2]

I live in a small coastal Oregon town -- Newport -- with a population of about 10,000. We have a nice waterfront pathway that is used by many older residents, families on vacation, bicyclists, etc. We also have a low infection rate for Covid because the folks in the community take prevention seriously.

Today, a commercial running store from Portland decided to sponsor a "fun run" in our little town, with no prior announcements to the community. They're not wearing masks.

They're making money from bringing a bunch of young folks from one of the heaviest infected big cities to a small town for a fun run.

WTF?!!!

I am so pissed off!

[BlueLucy]

1. Portland is not heavily infected.

It's the 2nd LEAST infected in the nation.

[jmbar2]

3. The infection rate is much higher than surrounding small towns

[KT2000]

2. I don't blame you

That is really rude to say nothing of the fact they are not wearing masks. I hope stores and shopkeepers don't allow them into the stores and restaurants without masks.
BTW - I am jealous - love all of the Oregon coast.

[MurrayDelph]

4. Newport has a great aquarium

(and Newport Cafe is a great dive diner).

[stopdiggin]

5. are they wearing masks as they

patronize your stores and shops? Asking because most of the people interested in fitness (running) are hardly coming from the anti-masker circles. For outdoor activities -- maybe a little more leeway (although I have to wonder about crowd activities). Kinda' see your point about coordination with the community -- although the event had to have had some advertisement in order to go off. No phone calls to city hall or the police department?

[jmbar2]

6. No announcements to the locals

Not in either local news/entertainment news sources, or local FB page. Publicized in Portland to the local runners who signed up through the business website.

I have no way of knowing if they had a permit.

Some of the runners put on masks at the starting point, but only about half. To be fair, it seems to be only lightly attended. But the idea that a commercial business would try to market runs in neighboring small towns for profit is disturbing to me.