Break the Record, Break the Cycle

June 11, 2022

Downtown Yakima Mile, Legends Casino, YWCA Yakima & Rosalie Fish combine forces to end violence against women

YAKIMA, WA /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – Athlete and activist Rosalie Fish is running the Downtown Yakima Mile on July 2nd to “demonstrate that every single one of us can make an impact in ending domestic violence.” Fish will begin running at the sound of the starting gun fired for the first heat of the Yakima Mile at 6:00 PM and continue to run miles up and down Yakima Ave. until the final runner crosses the finish line approximately 2 1/2 hours later!

Rosalie Fish, University of Washington cross country and track athlete is an enrolled member of the Cowlitz tribe and lives on the Muckleshoot reservation. She uses her platform to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, People (MMIWP) and Two-Spirit. Running is inherently beautiful and powerful, but as Fish describes, “running becomes all the more beautiful when we run for each other.” You are invited to make a difference by registering for the Downtown Yakima Mile! Whether you run or not, you can pledge a dollar amount for every mile Fish runs, which goes directly to the YWCA Yakima.

There are many races at the Downtown Yakima Mile, featuring heats for families, kids, veterans, elite runners, walkers and even dogs! Registration before June 15th enters your name into a giveaway of 2 tickets to Kendrick Lamar’s Seattle concert on August 27th, overnight stay included. Lamar’s latest album focuses on generational abuse, mental health issues, and overcoming violence. The drawing will be held at the event prior to the Elite Runners heat. You must be present to win. The Downtown Yakima Mile is free for runners 18 and under. Senior citizens are $12.50, and all other runners can register for $25.00.

The Yakima Mile challenges both individuals and our community to come together for a moment when everybody wins and state records may fall. The Yakima Mile’s elite heat draws NCAA and U.S. champions and Olympians to the Yakima Valley. In 2021, Nikki Hiltz charged away in the final two blocks to set a new Washington state mile record for women with a time of 4 minutes, 21.50 seconds. The men’s race featured Olympian Matthew Centrowitz, who won a gold medal in 2016 in the 1,500 meters, the first U.S. runner to win the event since 1908. The Washington State men’s mile record, set at the inaugural Downtown Yakima Mile at 3 minutes, 51.79 seconds by Amos Bartelsmeyer, running for Germany, remains unbroken.

Hogback Development Company, producer of the Downtown Yakima Mile, along with Legends Casino, sponsor of Rosalie Fish, seek to shed light on the invaluable services provided by this year’s beneficiary, YWCA Yakima. YWCA touches the lives of thousands of women, men, and families through its 24-hour domestic violence emergency shelter, crisis hotline, affordable housing aid, legal advocacy, and more.

Run for fun. Run for health. Run for the record. Run to show your community spirit. Run to support survivors of domestic abuse and families of MMIWP. To make a pledge for every mile Fish runs, visit www.runsignup.com/MilesAgainstViolence.

For more information and to register visit www.yakimamile.com and you can watch the origin story of the Downtown Yakima Mile here: https://youtu.be/yCOtKAzO0M4.

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Hogback Development Company works to elevate the standard of living in Yakima by attracting national tenants, bringing thousands of jobs to the community and through the annual Downtown Yakima Mile. Hogback’s mission is to advance the community through new construction and the rehabilitation of distressed, and often historic, properties. (https://www.hogbackdevelop.com/)

Legends Casino Hotel is Your Place to Play. The Casino includes nearly 1,500 slot machines, 18 table games including craps and roulette, a poker room, a buffet restaurant, and gift shop. It is located just minutes off 1-82 and exit 50, one mile west of Toppenish. For more information: 1-877-7-COME-11 or www.legendscasino.com. Legends Casino Hotel is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.

YWCA Yakima was formed in 1909 and is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Our vision is a healthy community transformed by racial and gender equity, where women and girls of color have equal access to opportunity, and there is social justice for all people. To learn more about YWCA Yakima and opportunities to volunteer, visit www.ywcayakima.org. For help, call YWCA Yakima’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 509-248-7796, option 3.

Rosalie Fish Running Photo

Event Founder:
Chris Waddle 509-728-4744
chris@hogbackdevelop.com

Event Director:
Michelle Blanchard 206-465-0795
michelle@hogbackdevelop.com

Legends Casino and Hotel Assistant Marketing Director
Deirdre Fojuwaye Deirdre_Fojuwaye@legendscasino.net

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