Worcester Business Journal

28 Worcester Business Journal | January 9, 2023 | wbjournal.com B E S T O F B U S I N E S S E V E N T S & M U L T I M E D I A BY LAURA FINALDI Special to WBJ 100 Mile Ruck raised $150K for Why Me & Sherry's House A t the end of July, during a sweltering Central Massachusetts heat wave, 33 people began what would eventually become a 100-mile, four-day charity ruck. Despite temperatures that pushed into the low 90s and high humidity that made it feel even hotter, most of the athletes persevered, knowing they were doing something much bigger than just themselves. ey were competing in the second annual 100 Mile Ruck March Chal- lenge, to benefit childhood cancer support services organization Why Me & Sherry's House. According to a documentary that tracked the event, the race is a mili- tary-style challenge where athletes hike 25 miles a day, camping out each night on the farm of a local brewery, and continuing to march at sunrise each and every morning. Athletes carry every- thing they need for the entire challenge on their backs throughout the whole event. In 2021, the inaugural year of the challenge, 15 athletes participated. "Just remember why you signed up to do this. It's probably one of the only things that will get you through," Rick Porter, the creator of the event, told athletes right before kickoff. e participants were strangers when they started the ruck. But the chal- lenge's intensity, plus their commitment to supporting children dealing with devastating illnesses, caused them to become thick as thieves by the time it was over. "We get to share stories of the fam- ilies we work with, so come the finish line, there is this real emotional sense of community," said Rebecca Kuczarski, executive director of Why Me. "We had a guy that came from Texas last year. He knew nobody and walked away with 33 new best friends. You rely on each other, and it's pretty spectacular at the finish line." e 2022 Ruck March Challenge has raised about $150,000 in support of the nonprofit. is year's event is scheduled for July 20-23. Athlete registration is full, but interested parties can still sign up to volunteer. Why Me & Sherry's House provides services to families with children diagnosed with cancer. BEST NONPROFIT FUNDRAISER EVENT 100 Mile Ruck March Challenge for Why Me & Sherry's House Worcester whyme.org Top executive: Executive Director Rebecca Kuczarski Founded: 1985 Employees: 7 Notable runners-up: The CASA Project's Champions for Children Celebration, UMass Cancer Walk and Run W BEST VENUE FOR A BUSINESS MEETING Beechwood Hotel* Worcester beechwoodhotel.com Top executive: Sayed Saleh, asset manager and managing director Founded: 1989 Employees: 100 The Beechwood has served the Central Massachusetts business community as a place to hold business meetings for more than 30 years. Each meeting is fully customizable and features the latest audio-visual technology, fast 5G internet speed, unique meeting room designs, award-winning cuisine, and an executive planning team to orchestrate every detail. Notable runners-up: AC Hotel by Marriott Worcester, Venture X Marlborough – Apex Center n BEST VENUE FOR A CORPORATE EVENT Beechwood Hotel* Worcester beechwoodhotel.com Top executive: Sayed Saleh, asset manager and managing director Founded: 1989 Employees: 100 In its efforts to go above and beyond for corporate events, The Beechwood offers 8,000 square feet of flexible event space throughout 13 function rooms, an experienced team of hospitality professionals and event planners, extensive sanitization and safety policies exceeding industry standards, and complimentary onsite parking. Notable runner-up: Polar Park n BEST WEB DESIGN FIRM PENTA Communications, Inc.* Westborough pentamarketing.com Top executive: Founder & CEO Deborah Penta Founded: 1989 Employees: 16 PENTA has worked with hundreds of companies over the years, as part of its services as an integrated marketing firm, including offering website design and development. PENTA prides itself on personalized service, striving to address each client's different challenges and goals. Notable runners-up: Worcester Interactive, Kill the Ball Media n

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