Rory O’Malley, Constantine Maroulis, et al. Take Part in Pride Run Today, 6/23

More than 5,000 LGBT runners and their allies will take to Central Park to celebrate Pride Weekend today, June 23, 2012. This is the 31st running of this 5-mile race, produced in conjunction with New York Road Runners and in partnership with City Parks & Recreation and The Central Park Conservancy. This annual event (which sold out more than a month in advance) has turned into one of the largest LGBT sporting events in the world and this year will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

“This is one of the most important events in New York City for LGBT Athletes and their allies—commemorating the anniversary of the stonewall riots and celebrating diversity,” said Dane Grams, Race Director. “This year is especially significant because Saturday’s Pride Run will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which is meaningful to so many New Yorkers and has an impact on hundreds of thousands struggling with HIV and AIDS beyond New York City, along with the support Front Runners gives to club members in need with life-threatening and debilitating illnesses.”

Special guests will include American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis, Tony Award nominee for his role in Rock of Ages, who will sing the national anthem. Rory O’Malley, The Tony Nominated Star of the Book of Mormon, who will host the awards ceremony immediately following the race. Openly gay actor Wilson Cruz (My So Called Life; Noah’s Ark) will join in the festivities. And the Tony Award Winning show Avenue Q will do a special performance in the park.

This year’s race is being sponsored by Urban Athletics, NYSportsMed, Blue State Digital, Boxers Sports Bar, Laser Cosmetica, The Miles a novel by Rob Lennon, ASICS and CustomTeesNYC.com. For more information on the race visit www.frny.org/pride-run, www.facebook.com/NYCPrideRun or www.nyrr.org/run-with-us/front-runners-new-york-lesbian-and-gay-pride-run-5m.

Front Runners New York is one of the New York’s largest and most active running clubs with more than 500 members across the greater New York area. We encourage runners of all abilities to join the club and experience the vast social, fitness, and training benefits of membership. Front Runners has more than a hundred affiliates worldwide and was inspired by Patricia Nell Warren’s The Front Runner. Front Runners New York pride’s itself on giving back to the community and in the last three years has awarded more than $50,000 to charitable organizations. For more information visit www.frny.org.

New York Road Runners was founded in 1958 when a small group of passionate runners vowed to bring running to the people. Over the past 53 years, NYRR has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s mission is to empower everyone, of all ages and abilities—beginners and competitive athletes, the young and the elderly, adult professionals and underserved schoolchildren—to improve their health and well-being through the power of running and fitness.

NYRR’s races, community events, instruction and training resources, and youth programs give hundreds of thousands of people each year the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to start running and keep running for life. NYRR’s premier event, the famed ING New York City Marathon, attracts the world’s top pro runners and committed amateurs alike while also raising millions of dollars annually for charity and driving economic impact for the City. But NYRR is equally committed to the runners of tomorrow, passionately providing youth fitness programs that educate and inspire more than 100,000 kids in underserved communities in New York City, all 50 states, and around the world.

Headquartered in New York City, NYRR implements a unique nonprofit model that teams contributed and earned income to make all its efforts possible. To learn more, please visit www.nyrr.org.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States. Broadway Cares awards annual grants to more than 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic. For more information visit www.broadwaycares.org.