Wreaths Across America Stem to Stone 2020 Race Tour MAINE

We at CompetitorME, in partnership with Wreaths Across America, are excited for the Stem to Stone 2020 Tour on the Tipland in Columbia Falls, Maine on July 18th!

This is to inform you of our intent to hold the event in person, as scheduled, and to outline the safe manner in which we will do this.  Most of all, we want you to have the same outstanding experience that you would have before COVID-19, with some procedures added for everyone’s safety.

GUIDELINE GOALS

In May, we drafted guidelines for a safe return to events using a three-phase approach.  As outlined by Maine Governor Mills’ mandate, this event will be held during phase two, which limits gatherings to 50 people or less. 

CompetitorME’s Guidelines serve to:

• Prioritize the health and safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, client staff, and CompetitorME staff
• Mirror and adhere to the Federal Government Guidelines by following the three-phased approach to reopening.
• Provide documentation to our clients with recommendations for their events.
• Provide local and state authorities with a written plan from CompetitorME regarding the procedures and processes for the client’s event.
• Rely on recommendations from several different sources (Centers for Disease Control, USA Triathlon, RunSignUp, and Road Runners Club of America).
• Effectively communicate changes and set expectations with participants. 

YOU HAVE OPTIONS!

If after reading this, you want to switch your registration, we can accommodate that request.  Whether it be from an in person participant to a virtual participant, or a virtual participant to an in person participant, simply email us at competitorme@gmail.com.  If you switch to a virtual participant, know you will still receive the same event swag by mail!

STEM TO STONE 2020 RACE TOUR!

As mentioned, events in the COVID-19 world will be slightly different for the foreseeable future.  Across the entire industry, event managers have had to adapt and rise to meet the challenges brought on through restrictions. 

The Stem to Stone 2020 Tour event in Columbia Falls will take place with no more than 50 individuals at or near the start/finish, packet pickup, parking, or on the course.  We will have corrals, or waves, that each participant will be assigned to (see Event Schedule below).  The corrals will have a designated time period that participants will be allowed to participate. There will be no changing of corrals or exceptions made on race day.  Social distancing and masks will be required of all in attendance, for the safety of their fellow athletes and our staff. 

Because of the need to limit the number of individuals to 50 or less, there will be no race day registration.  We encourage all who want to participate in person to register before Wednesday, July 15th. 

While we normally encourage friends and family to attend, spectators will be discouraged in order to control the number of individuals at the start/finish.  Instead, the use of RaceJoy and Facebook LIVE will be encouraged so they may cheer from home.

We have estimated the following formula with regards to meeting the limit of 50 individuals during each corral. 

• CompetitorME staff- 2
• Wreaths Across America staff- 8
• Volunteers- 5
• Vendors- 0
• Medical personnel- 0
• Spectators- 5
• Participants- 30

Parking will be at Camp Freedom and identified ahead of time with markings on the ground.  Volunteers along the road leading to the start will only allow specific individuals to the start/finish area. Participants will need to show proof of their registration (printed email) or their bib to be admitted. 

Participants registered prior to July 12th will have their packet mailed to them and are asked to bring it with them on race day.  Packet Pick Up for those registered between July 12-15 will occur at two tables near the start/finish.   Only the packets for the corral in attendance will be set out on top of the tables.  Safety pins for bibs will already be in the packets.  CompetitorME staff will have a list of names with associated bib numbers.  Participants will ask for their bib number, then go grab their own packet.

The racecourse will remain the same as in 2019, with the exception of the Kids 1 Mile Fun Run and 10K which will not take place.  The start and finish will be at the church and the 5K loop will take participants through the Tip land.  We will be using RaceJoy, which will give the opportunity to have an experience unlike any other.  Short audio excerpts will point out specifics on the course.  Additionally, those who cannot make the event can follow along from their device, even sending cheers along the way!  We are extremely excited for this opportunity!

There will be one water stop at approximately 1.5 miles with smaller bottles of water set out on a table manned by a volunteer.  Runners will need to grab their own bottles and carry them to the end of the course for disposal.

The start of the race will be a rolling start, where participants line up approximately every ten feet.  Your chip time will begin once you cross the start line.  Additionally, we will ask you to self-seed within the corral, meaning faster folks will be near the front.  The idea is for the participants to remain socially distanced along the course.  For those using RaceJoy, we will be able to track you along course from the CompetitorME trailer!

Post Event will also feel a bit different.  Water will be set out on a table and packaged food (such as granola bars) will be set out on another table spaced.  Participants will be responsible for grabbing their own items.  We will have Wreaths Across America staff who will proudly give you the finishers medal that you earned! We will ask that once you have finished your 5K and received your medal, you exit from Camp Freedom as soon as possible so that we may prepare and welcome the next wave.

Results will be available online as you cross the finish line.  Additionally, we will be sending emails to those who sign up for this feature during registration. 

There will not be an awards ceremony, since all waves need to finish before results are known.  We will mail your awards the following week. 

Some extras that we will have are additional Porta Potties and hand sanitizer stations onsite. 

Once all participants for the active wave have left Camp Freedom, we will sanitize tables and set up for the next wave.  Staff manning the parking will be notified of the next wave and we will repeat the process with open arms!

EVENT SCHEDULE

WAVE 1

7:00 am to 7:45 am- parking and packet pick up.

7:45 am- Welcome, Pre-Race Brief, and National Anthem.

8:00 am- WAVE 1 START

9:00 am- Wave 1 has left the area.

WAVE 2

9:00 am to 9:45 am- parking and packet pick up.

9:45 am- Welcome, Pre-Race Brief, and National Anthem.

10:00 am- WAVE 2 START

11:00 am- Wave 2 has left the area.

Additional Waves will be made available if needed.

ATTENDANCE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS & VOLUNTEERS

• Participants will only be admitted at your allotted corral or wave ONLY.  There will be ample time for packet pick up, a warmup, pre-race welcome, and to participate in the event at your pace. 
• Please, don’t show up if you are feeling ill or have flu-like symptoms.
• Face masks, or face coverings, are mandatory and must be worn at packet pick up, at the start line, when passing other runners, and after finishing the race.
• Don't share fluids. Carry your own fluids to avoid contact with others on course.
• Don't share towels, food, gels, or any other item that runners normally share freely.
• Do wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after using the port-a-john.
• Do not spit or “nose rocket” in public – bring along tissues or a small towel or a good old-fashioned hanky if you need to get rid of some snot during the race.
• Do practice social distancing - ensure appropriate spacing between runners; the current recommendation is at least six feet of separation.
• Do avoid close-group selfies.

RACEJOY!

As described above, we want your experience at the Stem to Stone 2020 Tour on the Tipland to be a fantastic experience.  One way we’re doing this is through RunSignUp’s newest creation- RaceJoy!  Please click HERE for a video detailing all that RaceJoy can offer.  All along the course, Wreaths Across America and Gold Star Families will be with you through audio clips at key locations.  Additionally, family and friends can cheer you on from afar, while still enjoying the comforts of pace, distance, and estimated finish time.  We’re even offering this same experience for those who cannot make it to Columbia Falls, and want to join virtually!

WE’RE EXCITED!

Most importantly, you are participating in one of the first events in the state, and Nation, at this time.  We feel safe in the measures being taken to protect all in attendance, and simply ask for your assistance.  Together, we will make this a memorable experience wherein we will Remember, Honor, and Teach!

Best Regards,

Jonathan Kelley

REMEMBER
our fallen U.S. veterans.
HONOR
those who serve.
TEACH
your children the value of freedom.

While we have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, our servicemen and women sacrifice their time and safety every single day of the year, to preserve our freedoms. And in many homes across the U.S., every day there is an empty seat for one who is serving, or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. That is why our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach lasts all year long, far beyond the single day in December when we coordinate wreath-laying ceremonies. All throughout the year, Wreaths Across America works in a number of ways to show our veterans and their families that we will not forget—we will never forget.

Wreaths Across America established the Veterans Remembrance Tree Program as another way to remember and honor our veterans. As Gold Star families visited the land in Columbia Falls, Maine, where the balsam tips are harvested each year to be made into the wreaths that are place on veteran’s graves, they found a sense of peace and tranquility from the land. The Remembrance Tree Program gives them a living memorial to their loved one.

Each family can contact us and give information on their loved one. Our dog tag machine allows the families of the veteran to customize their message for the tag. The family is taken out to the balsam tip land to find a tree that will become their living memorial to their loved one, where they can place the tag on the trunk of an evergreen tree of their choosing. The trees are kept in production and their balsam tips are harvested every three years and made in veteran’s wreaths that are placed each December.

“We created the Veteran Remembrance Tree Program because we wanted to find a way to recognize veterans and their families in a more permanent way,”  explains Karen Worcester, Executive Director of Wreaths Across America. “This endless forest is a truly visual representation of our unwavering commitment to our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach and to recognize our veterans and families this year and for many years to come.”