The Gang's all here! At the 2005 Great Human Race, unaware that it's an actual RACE, some of Manbites Dog's participants mistakenly warm up for the 5K Run with ACTING exercises! L to R: Michael O'Foghludha (showing "internalized rage"), Carl Martin ("surprise"), Nicole Quenelle ("moderate happiness"), Roman Pearah ("wry bemusement"), and Jay O'Berski ("pretend you're short")

NEW! Photos from this year's race!

UPDATE:Thanks to the enthusiastic work by all the Manbites Dog and Little Green Pig folk, we raised over $6,200!! (Final total will be higer -- some late checks and online gifts are still coming.) Our biggest fundraiser was Jay O'Berski, whose $2,602 was enough to take second place, and a prize of a free weekend at the Downtown Durham Marriott. Congrats, Jay! Thanks again to all the participants and donors.

Dig out your walking shoes! Lace up your running shoes! Manbites Dog NEEDS YOU to participate in THE GREAT HUMAN RACE. You can have fun AND help support Manbites Dog Theater at the same time! This spring, Manbites Dog, in partnership with Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern, is once again taking part in The Great Human Race, an annual event organized by the Volunteer Center of Durham.

Photos from the 2003 Great Human Race

Photos from the 2005 Great Human Race

THE WHAT, THE WHERE, AND THE WHEN: The Great Human Race provides a way for non-profit groups like Manbites Dog to raise money. The event consists of a 5K RACE for those that like to run, and a 5K FUN WALK for those who'd rather stroll slowly and smell the roses. The event is scheduled for Saturday morning March 25, 2006 at 9:00 a.m., at the spiffy Durham Bulls Athletic Park, next to the American Tobacco Complex in downtown Durham. There will be prizes, t-shirts, entertainment, refreshments and other festivities. It’s a lot of fun and it's for a good cause (Manbites Dog!!), so we hope you’ll consider taking part. How do you take part? Two ways:

PARTICIPATE: You can participate to whatever extent you want -- competing in the run*, or walking the walk, or just offering encouragement from the sidelines. (Can't be there on March 25? Not a problem!! Amazingly, you can be a participant without actually being present at the event! Ask us how.) As a participant for Manbites Dog, you raise money by asking family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to sponsor you with a tax-deductible contribution. (Easier than you think! We can teach you sure-fire painless ways to ask folks to sponsor you.)
(*Note: If you're planning to compete in the RUN, you'll need to register and pay your fee ahead of time at www.greathumanrace.org . The WALK, however, is free and open to anyone. Anyone human, that is; sorry, no dogs allowed.)

SPONSOR:"How about I just donate some money?": Absolutely! This is America -- you can pay someone to walk for you. What a country! Contact us if you want to sponsor one of our participants with a donation. If none of our participants have contacted you, just give us a call or an email, and we'll connect you with someone you can sponsor.

NEW! Now you can make a Great Human Race sponsorship donation to us at the Great Human Race website. (Just click on the link that says "Visit our online donation center...")

OUR GOAL: Last year we raised over $3,000. This year we want to raise at least $4,000, enough to pay Manbites Dog Theater's mortgage payments for 3 months! (And we may be getting a little additional money in matching funds from a couple of generous supporters to help pay some of the utility bills as well.) Paying the mortgage may not seem like a glamorous goal, but think of it as providing a home for three months for some of the best theater in the Triangle.

FRIENDLY COMPETITION: In this year's Great Human Race, Manbites Dog is partnering with Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern, Durham's most excellent new theater company (watch for their new production, Three Sisters (on Ice) at Manbites Dog in April). Even though we're sharing what we raise, we're also going to be competing with each other to see which team can raise the most, the Manbites Doggies or the Little Green Piggies. It's going to be a friendly competition, but a competition nonetheless, so we hope you'll join our righteous cause and help us kick some Piggy butt! (To sweeten the victory, there is also a friendly bet riding on the outcome, between Lord of the Piggies Jay O'Berski, and Dog Pound Guy Ed Hunt. More on that later...)

HOW TO SIGN UP AS A FUNDRAISER/PARTICIPANT:
Attend one of our short group orientation sessions at Manbites Dog:
• Sunday March 5 at 1:00 p.m. OR at 6:00 p.m.
• Wednesday March 8, at 7:00 p.m.
Can't attend any of the group sessions? No problem. Just contact us at 919.682.4974 or at manbitesdog@earthlink.net and schedule a time to pick up your materials. We will give you the quick 10-minute orientation, give you your packet, and you'll be ready to go. Please contact us RIGHT AWAY if you plan to paricipate/fundraise. The deadline for turning in your earnings to Manbites Dog (and being eligible for t-shirts and other prizes) is MONDAY MARCH 20 at 5 p.m..

ADDED INCENTIVES FOR PARTICIPANTS: Raise at least $50 and win a Great Human Race t-shirt. $100 makes you eligible for Great Human Race door prizes. $300 gets you a Great Human Race t-shirt. PLUS: raise at least $100 and win 2 passes good for admission to a show at Manbites Dog. PLUS PLUS: The person (other than board members/staff) who raises the MOST for Manbites Dog wins an 8-pack of Manbites Dog passes.

COME ON DOWN! Even if you can't fundraise for us, come out for The Great Human Race on Saturday morning, March 25. It's going to be a lot of fun. Look for us at the Manbites Dog Theater sign, and say hello. See you there!

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