“I had no idea that was there!” Rediscover Downtown Through the Race Against Poverty

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September 17, 2026

Every year after the Race Against Poverty, we hear some version of the same thing:

“I had no idea that was there.”

Sometimes it’s a business someone has walked past dozens of times. Sometimes it’s an organization they’ve heard of but never visited. Sometimes it’s a place tucked behind a door they simply never had a reason to open.

Then Race Against Poverty gives them one.

On Saturday, September 26, teams of two will take off through downtown Watertown with a packet of clues, a little strategy and absolutely no idea what we have waiting for them.

They’ll decipher clues to find their destinations. They’ll walk through doors they may never have opened before. And once they get there, they’ll be asked to complete a challenge before heading off in search of the next stop.

We won’t spoil the surprises. That’s part of the fun.

But we can tell you that the businesses and organizations that agree to become Race stops are a big part of what makes this event special. They open their doors, embrace some pretty unusual requests from the United Way team, create challenges and welcome a parade of racers into their spaces.

And in the process, people discover a little more of their community.

There’s more to discover

Downtown Watertown looks a little different today than it did even a year ago. Some familiar places are gone. New ones have appeared. And plenty of businesses and organizations have been here all along, doing interesting work that many of us know very little about.

Race Against Poverty isn’t going to tell the whole story of downtown in one Saturday morning.

But it does something pretty simple: it gets people out in it.

Walking the sidewalks. Looking for clues. Meeting people. Stepping inside. Paying attention.

And maybe saying, “How did I not know this was here?”

What we’re really racing for

Of course, there’s another reason we do this.

Proceeds from Race Against Poverty support United Way of Northern New York’s Getting Ahead in the Workplace and Staying Ahead initiatives.

Getting Ahead is a 16-week experience for people who want to build greater stability in their lives. Participants examine the resources they have, the barriers they face and the changes they want to make. Most importantly, they create their own plans for getting there.

Many are part of a group we call ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). They work, contribute to our community and keep many of the places we rely on every day running, yet their household income may still fall short of consistently covering housing, food, transportation, child care, health care and other basics.

Staying Ahead continues the journey after Getting Ahead ends, providing opportunities for connection, learning and continued growth.

That’s what the clues, challenges and laughter ultimately support.

Come discover something

Race Against Poverty starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 26, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. Teams compete in pairs, and you don’t need to know downtown like the back of your hand to participate.

Actually, not knowing everything that’s here might just make it more fun.

Come race with us. Open a few doors. Meet some people. Discover something new.

Because community doesn’t just happen.

It takes people who show up.