Santa Maria’s Movement for Mary 5K turned a group of class connections into a community fundraiser. On Sunday, Oct. 4, participants met at the Santa Maria Valley YMCA for a run and walk organized by people who knew local fitness instructor Mary Bigelow through her classes. The following day, KEYT reported that organizers estimated about $20,000 would go to Bigelow and her family. The San Luis Distance Club’s event listing said 100% of proceeds were designated for the family, giving the fundraiser a clear purpose before participants arrived.
The course began and ended at the Santa Maria Valley YMCA and wound through Waller Park, according to the event listing and KEYT’s report. The route brought the fundraiser through a nearby public park after starting at the YMCA. KEYT reported that organizers were surprised by the response and that turnout exceeded their expectations. The event listing described several ways to participate, including running, walking, volunteering, donating or cheering from the sidelines.
The morning included more than the 5K. KEYT reported that check-in opened at 7:30 a.m., followed by a group stretch and warm-up at 8:30. The run and walk began at 9, with a cool-down stretch and yoga session at 10. Organizers announced raffle winners at 11. Food vendors and raffle prizes added more ways to take part around the course; one prize was a family four-pack for the Santa Maria Speedway.
The idea began with a small group of people from Bigelow’s spin classes, KEYT reported. They organized the fundraiser to support her and her family with medical and travel expenses. The San Luis Distance Club listing invited people to run, walk, volunteer, donate or cheer, and said all proceeds would go to the family. The mix of options made the day accessible to people who wanted to join the course or support it from nearby.
KEYT identified Christina Landeros as an organizer and reported that she and others were surprised by how strongly people responded. The report quotes Landeros describing people helping throughout the morning and noting that some arrived early. The people who launched the event had a direct connection to Bigelow through the classes they attended. That connection shaped the fundraiser: it grew from an existing group into a public event that invited neighbors to help.
The amount raised should be understood as an estimate, not a final accounting. KEYT reported that organizers estimated about $20,000 would go directly to Bigelow and her family. The San Luis Distance Club’s listing said 100% of event proceeds were designated for them, but did not provide an after-event accounting. The sources do not break down expenses or individual donations, so the supported figure is the organizer estimate reported by KEYT.
The fundraiser was intended to help with medical and travel costs for Bigelow and her family. Those details explain the practical purpose organizers gave for the event without requiring speculation about her health or what comes next. The clearest reported point is that people who had spent time together in fitness classes organized a public run and walk, and organizers said the proceeds would help the family manage costs connected with care and travel.
The 5K’s schedule made room for running and walking, warm-up and yoga, raffle prizes and local vendors. Its organizers came from a group already connected through Bigelow’s classes, and the official event listing included cheering from the sidelines as participation. The event took place on Oct. 4, and the next day’s report described a fundraiser that exceeded organizers’ expectations and generated an estimated $20,000 for the family it was organized to support.
The story rests in those concrete details: a gathering at the YMCA, a route through Waller Park, a small group of class attendees who planned the event, and proceeds designated for Bigelow and her family. The sources describe one morning of neighbors turning a shared connection into practical help. The reported amount remains an estimate, and the proceeds were intended for the family, just as the event listing said they would be.
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