Reflecting on 6 Years of Publishing

Tom Britt, Publisher atGeist.com
Tom Britt, Publisher and Founder of atGeist.com

Like every Friday, I stroll into Mama Bear’s to have coffee with Bob Tollini and make a joke out of my “atGeist uniform” consisting of flip flops, baggy shorts, and a Geist Half Marathon volunteer T-shirt. I walk by Quinn and harass him about his name tag being upside down, and hand Tim my $2.00 for the small coffee and refill I know I’ll need before I leave. As I head over to our two-top in the corner, I say hello to Steve reading the newspaper in the corner and take my seat.

Bob and I talk about anything and everything: Our kids, our wives, crazy promo ideas, local restaurants, wineries, and Bob’s “slow-acting toxins” theory that explains why women live longer than men. As you might guess, most of our conversations are pretty light-hearted. However, one conversation stands out in my mind from late 2006.

AtGeist 6 yr logo A few days after Bob had participated in the Eagle Creek Triathlon, he was telling me how much he enjoyed the experience and the challenge.

“We need to have some big event like that at Geist,” I said, thinking out loud.

After a few moments of silence, he responded, “You need to do that.”

Usually his bluntness is followed with a smile, but this time he just stared at me.

A mental snowball started going down a long, winding hill that culminated in the inaugural Geist Half Marathon & 5K on May 17, 2008. Today, we are preparing for the third annual “Race Around the Reservoir,” and expect to see around 6,500 runners and walkers, and another 800 volunteers descend on Geist for one day (May 22, 2010). We have donated over $65,000 to local schools in just two years thanks to our sponsors, volunteers, and of course, participants.

As we close the books on six years of publishing the “Geist Community Newsletter,” I just want to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you who have been so supportive over the years. This issue is the largest one we have ever published (76 pages) and highlights my proudest moment: The St.Vincent Geist Half Marathon & 5K Presented by Comcast. You can thank my wife Jeanne for all the success we’ve shared with the “Geist Community Newsletter.” While you’re at it, thank Bob Tollini for the nudge to get the Geist Half Marathon rolling.

I’m proud to call you all neighbors.

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