FRESH 15

Origins:

The record-breaking 2024 FRESH 15 race was held on March 2, 2024, raising $180,500 for charities. The 11th annual race started and finished at Brookshire Grocery Company’s FRESH by Brookshire’s store in Tyler, Texas. More than 4,500 runners from 27 states and 3 countries participated in the race. The event featured a 15K, 5K and Kids 1Ks and saw thousands of spectators and more than 300 volunteers. The day ended with a post-race “Party on the Pavement” featuring free food and products from vendors and live music. The FRESH 15 supports nonprofit organizations that provide strength, stability and safety for families. This year, 30 local nonprofit organizations benefited from the 11th annual FRESH 15.

On April 3, a special ceremony was held at the Tyler FRESH by Brookshire’s store to donate the $180,500 raised to the benefiting charity organizations. FRESH 15 is not just a race – it’s an experience. It has become a destination race and leading 15K in the United States. The FRESH 15 is committed to helping people adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Contribution:

Brookshire Grocery Company (BGC) is dedicated to making a difference in the communities we serve. Each year, the company donates to organizations that support hunger relief, education, health, family wellbeing, first responders, military and veterans. BGC’s core value, The Team Matters, is on full display throughout the FRESH 15 race as employee-partners come together to make the race a successful event for our community. BGC employee-partners donate their time to volunteer for the FRESH 15, handing out swag and setting up and tearing down for the race. Some volunteers stand on the sidelines throughout the course to cheer on participants. Since the FRESH 15 was established in 2014, Brookshire Grocery Company has donated 100% of race registration revenue totaling more than $1.5 million to nonprofit organizations in our local market areas. Every year the race grows bringing in more runners, more spectators and more funds.

Objectives:

The FRESH 15 focuses on healthy living by creating a incredible runner experience, offering a safe, spectator-filled course. You see it throughout our stores, and you’ll see it at the race… being a part of the “BGC family” is deep with the culture of our company. We award funding from the FRESH 15 to groups that exemplify the strength it takes to support every sense of the term “family” – passion, hope, dignity, belonging, protection - all vital to building lives that truly make a difference. The BGC Racing Team is made up of a cross-functional group of BGC employee-partners that work year-round to ensure the race is safe, eventful and successful. Applications for the next year’s race are accepted the following day after the previous race. It is the goal of the BGC Race Team to ensure each FRESH 15 race is more fruitful than the last to better serve our communities.

Impact:

The FRESH 15 was established in 2014 to provide a world-class race that promotes wellness and supports the community. FRESH 15 began with the idea of creating an iconic event that would motivate our community and BGC employee-partners to become healthier. With this event comes great pride as employee-partners join together to support charity and give back to the community. Unlike other races, the Company 100% of race revenue back to non-profit organizations. Additionally, we have runners on our race team who understand the race from an athlete’s perspective and work on FRESH 15 year-round to create something memorable for everyone from the seasoned runner to the kids. By focusing on the runner, volunteer, and spectator experiences of race day, we impact the lives of those involved to create a healthier, happier community. We firmly believe that motivating someone to get off the couch and move can change their life. This is something we have witnessed and we’re proud to say that FRESH 15 has done for thousands of people. The FRESH 15 sold out in 2024 for the second year in a row, raising a record-breaking amount of donation funds. Since its inception in 2014, the race has raised more than $1.5 million for charities.

Quote:

“This is a race that just gets better and better every year,” said CEO and Chairman Brad Brookshire. “So many people lend a helping hand annually to make this event a success. This race is for our community and serves as an encouragement for them to live a healthier lifestyle. I’m incredibly proud of what the FRESH 15 has turned out to be and even more proud that we donate 100% of the proceeds to those in need. I look forward to this event continuing for many years to come.”

Support Statement:

“If it wasn’t for Brookshire Grocery Company and the FRESH 15 supporting our activities, we would not exist,” said Casey McCoy, Co-Founder and Director of Operations for the Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas. “With the funding we receive from the community and events like FRESH 15, we can grow and offer more programs for our families. We love the FRESH 15. My daughter is 9. She was born non-verbal with autism. She has done the FRESH race for 10 years. It’s a very big deal to her. Now that she’s verbal, she always tells us that one day she’s going to win it.”