Race Against Poverty Takes Over Downtown Watertown
What do a candy store, a fitness studio, a church, a hotel and a card shop have in common?
On Saturday morning, they were all part of one very unusual race through downtown Watertown.
Thirty-one teams. Thirteen stops. Dozens of volunteers. Countless laughs. One community showing up for its neighbors.
United Way of Northern New York’s 2026 Race Against Poverty brought teams of two to downtown Watertown for a morning of clues, challenges and friendly competition, all while raising awareness and support for United Way’s Getting Ahead in the Workplace, Staying Ahead and broader ALICE programming.
Racers had no idea where they were headed until the race began. Armed with 13 clues and a passport, teams set out to identify each destination, complete the challenge waiting for them and make their way back to the finish line.
And our downtown partners made sure the challenges were memorable.
13 Stops. 13 Challenges. A Whole Lot of Fun.
What exactly does it take to Race Against Poverty? This year, racers found out.
SoZo Teen Center — Showed off their moves in a Wii Dance-Off.
The Card Forge — Rolled the dice in a tabletop Mini Boss Battle.
Toys for Tots — Helped prepare posters and got a behind-the-scenes look at the local operation.
The Silver Cauldron — Matched crystals with their names and properties.
Three Sisters Candy Jar — Braved the Mega Sour Challenge, featuring super sour balls.
IM Fitness — Got moving with a mini fitness challenge.
United Way of Northern New York — Put their LEGO-building skills to the test.
First Presbyterian Church — Built miniature steeples using spaghetti and marshmallows.
EscapeWorks — Took aim with a Nerf target challenge.
SpeakEasy Hair Studio — Searched through hair-color swatches to find the perfect match.
Revolutionary War Monument — Discovered the number of local patriots honored by the monument.
Spark by Hilton — Faced perhaps the most universally dreaded challenge of the day: folding a fitted sheet.
Empire Square — Uncovered a little local history about the first restaurateur at 65 Public Square.
From dancing and LEGO building to sour candy and fitted sheets, there was no telling what racers would encounter next. That was half the fun.
And the Winners Are…
Competition was fierce … and very friendly.
First Place: Melissa Shova & Katie Dandrow
Second Place: Joe & Shannon Foy
Third Place: Alex & Staci Burke
Congratulations to our top finishers and to all 31 teams who accepted the challenge!
So Many Hands. One Incredible Morning.
Race Against Poverty doesn’t happen without an extraordinary number of people willing to say yes.
Our participating businesses and organizations opened their doors, shared their spaces and embraced the fun. Dozens of volunteers helped with registration, challenges, course logistics, safety, photos, food and the after-party.
We were especially grateful to have the entire Literacy of Northern New York team and spouses among the many volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and helped make the morning possible.
Tunes 92.5 kept the energy high with music and DJ services throughout the morning, while KBird Photography captured the action from start to finish, and Snapshots added to the fun with a photo booth and temporary tattoos.
And none of it happens without our sponsors, whose generosity allows Race Against Poverty to be both a memorable community event and an important fundraiser for work that continues long after racers cross the finish line.
To every racer, volunteer, sponsor, business, organization and friend who played a part: thank you.
The Reason We Race
Behind all the clues, challenges and laughter is a much bigger purpose.
Race Against Poverty is one of United Way’s largest fundraisers and awareness-builders for Getting Ahead in the Workplace, Staying Ahead and our broader work with ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households.
And the connection was especially visible on Saturday.
Several Getting Ahead graduates returned as racers and volunteers, giving back to an event that helps make future workshops possible. Sarah Hilyer, a member of the UWNNY Board of Directors, and Katie Babcock of KBird Photography also shared words of inspiration about their own Getting Ahead experiences.
Community Doesn’t Just Happen.
It takes the business owner who opens the doors on a Saturday morning.
The volunteer who gives up a few hours.
The sponsor who makes the investment.
The team that signs up to race.
The graduate who comes back to encourage someone else.
It takes people who care. It takes people who show up.
On Saturday, downtown Watertown was full of them.
Thank you, North Country. 🧡
