If you were driving around Ansonia’s Hilltop neighborhood Friday afternoon and saw about 100 people in running gear jogging, your eyes weren’t deceiving you.
They were raising a few thousand dollars to benefit the American Cancer Society.
The second annual Birchwood Drive Mad Dash 5K was scheduled to kick off about 5 p.m.
The event was first held last year, after Anne Lynch, a Birchwood Drive resident who hosts the race, came up with the concept.
She said she and some of her friends try to run a 5K every month.
Last year they competed in a New Haven race on St. Patrick’s day but couldn’t agree on an April event everyone could attend.
So they decided to have one at Lynch’s house on Good Friday — a lot of people would be off work — with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
At the time, Lynch’s mother was battling colon cancer. She later passed away.
“She didn’t want people to know she was sick, or people feeling bad for her,” Lynch said. “It was sort of why I picked the cause. I just felt strongly about it.”
About 35 people showed up on no more than a month’s notice and the group raised about $700 to donate to the ACS.
“Last year it was very last-minute,” said Tricia Kevalis, a Seymour resident and one of Lynch’s friends who helped organize the event. “Because it went so well and actually made some money, we said, ‘Now we’ll do it every year.’”
Lynch said that this year about 100 people signed up to race. She estimated the event would raise about $2,000, and hopes that figure will grow in coming years.
“This will definitely be an annual thing, there’s no question about it,” Lynch said.
The course follows Birchwood Drive, Finney, Ford, and Benz streets before ending back at Lynch’s house.
Winners get free T‑shirts with the race logo on them. All those participating get “all the pizza and soda you want” after the race is over.